Fiery Tempers & Icy Hearts
by LaPirataAna
Summary: Set two years after Avengers - Loki has redeemed himself & now lives and fights alongside the very team he had fought. They get a call about a troubled girl who can control fire, and Loki is immediately intrigued and eager to find out what dark secrets she holds. What they soon realize is how similar their stories are - will they be able to put trust into the other finally heal?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! This is my first fanfic, so please be nice! Loki X OC pairing. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows and make delicious smores, but suggestions and reviews are certainly welcome! :)**

**Disclaimer: Avengers don't belong to me, otherwise things would turn out a lot differently. ;D**

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Loki sat beside his unconscious lover, heart wrenching at the sight of her frail body connected to all those wires and tubes, the monitor beeping ever so slowly, her chest barely moving with each breath she took. Feeling tears threaten to spill out, he angrily wiped them away, then went to hold one of her hands, keeping his eyes on her face, looking for any other sign of life.

The first three days – after she had been rescued from those bastards who Loki and the others still had to deal with for putting her through such torture – were terrible, spent keeping her alter-ego restrained, and listening to her cries of pain as they replaced bandages and re-stitched wounds that she had torn when she struggled, and _those screams..._throughout the day and night as she was plagued by nightmares of what had been done to her. She never awoke completely however, her eyes always the blackest night when they opened, and Loki feared that he may never see those warm chocolate brown again. Then two days ago, she had given a small groan of pain, then suddenly gone quiet and still, making the others panic, but Bruce told them that they couldn't lose hope, and they just had to wait it out.

Loki had been doing just that, never leaving her side although the others told him that he was just torturing himself. When they did kick him out of the room, ordering him to take a shower and eat properly, he merely sat outside the door until they gave in and allowed him to go back in.

Rubbing her hand softly, he took in all of her bruises, cuts, and wounds, the slight rise and fall of her chest, and closed his eyes in grief, wishing he hadn't been so harsh on her earlier, and perhaps none of this would have happened. Smiling softly, he remembered when he had first laid eyes on her, both knowing...and then again not, that this young lady would be the one to break down the walls he had so carefully placed around himself, hiding effectively from everyone else.

'_Oh yes, he knew that there was just something about this girl that intrigued him from the very beginning.'_

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It turned out that Loki had been possessed as Hawkeye was, and only when the Hulk smashed him into the floor did Thanos' mind control relinquish its hold on him. It had been as if he were in another world when he was possessed, but he did have some control over himself, such as the point when he killed Phil.

In reality, Phil hadn't died, for Loki had aimed just so, not to pierce his heart as Thanos' wanted him to, but just to wound him. Fury had used the 'death' however, to his advantage, to get the Avengers to fight as one. It took a while for them all to forgive Fury, but they now understood why it had to be done.

When Loki received his sentence from Odin to help the Midgardians and repair all the damage he had done, naturally the Avengers were wary around him at first. However, after learning that he had fought Thanos' will and had kept himself from killing Phil, they accepted Loki a lot quicker. After a year of helping them rebuild New York, and helping with small fights when they arose, Loki was made a member of the Avengers team as well.

Now, after having proved himself as a powerful ally to the Avengers, fighting alongside them when his sentence was through, he lived alongside them in the Tower, now the Avengers headquarters. Therefore, he was there with them when they received a call about a young lady who was capable of creating fire with her hands -and was currently using that fire to create havoc at a bank.

Thinking nothing of it, Loki got ready with the others, and headed out to take down their newest target.

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The Avengers and Loki took her down, though it turned out to be a harder fight than they were expecting.

_Loki ran alongside his...Thor, to the bank behind the others. Even though he was willing to repair the damage that he did to New York, and even to join the team that he was fighting only two years ago, it was still hard to call Thor his brother. His views on Thor had definitely changed for the better, but after all that had happened...it would just take him a bit longer until he fully accepted Thor as a true brother._

_Looking at the many burned cars, black scorch marks on the building, and numerous police men huddled behind their cars with guns pointed at the banks' door, Loki realized that their adversary must be rather powerful to have caused such destruction. An explosion ripped through the air, and panicked screams were heard from within the building. He immediately surged forward, and burst into the bank with Hawkeye and Thor by his sides. _

_The bank workers were huddled in one corner of the building, terrified and shaking, and almost every inch of floor and wall was charred from the fire. Captain America and Black Widow immediately herded the bystanders out the door, as Loki and the others searched for their opponent. For a moment Loki cannot see them, but a flash of light on his left side revealed their position. _

_Whipping his head around, raising his spear defensively, he was surprised to see a young lady that looked to be only a few years younger than he. She was about as tall as Natasha, maybe a bit shorter, and she was clearly of some sort of Hispanic descent. Her dark brown hair was up in a ponytail; her athletic body clothed in black pants, a fitted red shirt and black vest, and black leather cutoff gloves; and her raised fists were aflame with a dark red fire. Looking into her face, Loki was slightly alarmed to see that her eyes were pitch black, no whites showing at all._

_At that moment, she growled slightly, and punched her left fist forward, shooting off a ball of fire as big as a bowling ball. Loki jumped aside quickly then turned where he lay and fired off a blast with his scepter. She dodged it easily, and rapidly shot off four more fireballs at him and the others._

_Tony jumped in, and fired off a few blasts with his repulsors with deadly accuracy. However, with amazing flexibility and speed, she twisted backwards allowing the blasts to pass over her body, missing her by merely centimeters. As she was standing back up, an arrow whizzed past her right arm, and the next second she was clutching the area where the arrow had cut her skin._

_Taking advantage of the momentary pause, Black Widow fired a few bullets at her, only to have the girl tuck and roll to the side. She got to her knees and unleashed a torrent of flames at them, causing the temperature of the room to rise exponentially. Thor whipped his hammer around, causing the flames to circle them before extinguishing, but when the smoke cleared, the girl was much closer and they barely had time to jump aside before she raised her palms and set more fire at them._

_As it was, only Iron Man and the Hulk were left unscathed from that attack, and Loki winced as he stretched his left arm. His armor was thick, so he didn't get burnt too badly, but he would've preferred to have left this fight without any injuries. Rising to his feet, he fired a blast at the girl, who dodged it quickly, only to be thrown backwards when the floor exploded in front of her from one of Hawkeye's arrows._

_She got to her feet quickly by doing a kick-up, just barely dodging one of Iron Man's repulsor blasts as her back bent just in the nick of time. While standing up from the squat she had landed in, Captain America's shield flew toward her, and with another impressive move, she flipped backwards onto one hand then landed perfectly on her feet._

_Out of the corner of his eye, Loki saw something huge move, then watched in amazement as a desk flew towards the girl. Her eyes widened, then she dove onto her stomach; she was not fast enough, for the edge of the desk clipped her head, and she fell heavily, clutching it with a groan._

_Leaping at their chance, Loki quickly ran forward as she stumbled to her feet, blasting shot after shot at her, which she barely dodged due to her disorientation. Iron Man and Black Widow also shoot at her rapidly, not giving her a chance to rest or retaliate. With a final blast aimed millimeters from her toes, she was thrown against the booth walls, and crashed through them. She was clearly fighting to stay conscious, but as she leapt to her feet, Captain America's shield hit her solidly in the middle and she went limp as her body hit the ground for the last time._

_Breathing a sigh of relief, Loki trailed Thor as he and the others went to make sure the girl was truly incapacitated. He couldn't help but wince as he saw the deep blue bruise that was already forming on her forehead where the desk had hit her after the Hulk threw it. Taking in her long eyelashes, her full lips, and fit yet curvy body, Loki had to admit she was an attractive young lady...when she wasn't filled with rage and attempting to burn him and his teammates to a crisp._

_A crackle of static cut through his musings, and Fury's voice burst into his ear through his earpiece. "Is the enemy out of action?" Hawkeye answered him rapidly with an affirmative and soon a few agents rushed into the building to take the girl away._

_Loki watched as she was handcuffed then lifted easily to be taken away and locked up until she woke again. He felt a hand on his shoulder, then looked into Steve's tired face as he said, "Come on. Let's go get some rest before the interrogation starts. I'm sure she'll be a tough cookie to crack, if that fight was anything to go by." Loki smiled wearily in agreement, and followed the others to go back to the Tower._

If Loki or the others were impressed with her after seeing her display of power, they definitely were after a few hours of futile questioning.

They locked her in the same cell that Loki had been in, only this time it was situated in the Tower. A half hour after she was placed there, she woke up with a completely bewildered look on her face, as if she had no idea what had happened.

The second after she sat up, Fury sent Tony and Bruce in to get some information out of her. But despite being interrogated by a man who could turn into a huge green beast and crush her in his hand, she only revealed her name - Echo Valentina - and nothing more. Finally Bruce could barely keep his temper in check and had to be dragged out by Tony before anything serious happened.

Clint and Steve were sent in next, and although Steve tried a different approach by being patient and speaking calmly, Echo refused to cooperate. Loki watched the screen with a pained expression as Thor's temper got the better of him after half an hour of attempting to get at least one word out of Echo, and he banged his fist against the glass wall in frustration before leaving furiously.

When Natasha went in, Loki thought that her tricks would cause Echo to reveal information whether she wanted to or not. _'After all, she was able to fool me,' _Loki thought regretfully. _'If I could be deceived, then this mere mortal cannot surely have a chance.'_ Eventually however, Natasha was forced to leave after Fury told her to give it up, and called her back up to where Loki and the others were sitting around the table and screen.

"This girl is obviously not cooperating to brute force, twisted words, or even the good guy act. Now we need to know where she came from, who she was working for, and we need to know it _now._ So Loki, you had better get your ass down there and do not come back up until you have squeezed every last bit of information out of her. I don't care what it takes – harsh words, clever remarks, anything. You say you have a 'Silvertongue'? Well then go down there and make her talk." Fury glared at Loki from across the table, and although he did not entirely like being ordered around, especially by this particular mortal, he nodded grudgingly and walked from the room. Of course, inside he was bursting with satisfaction at being the only one who Fury thought could make Echo talk. _'Now let's see if I can't get her to crack,'_ Loki thought smugly as he teleported down to the cell.

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**Well, there you have it! My very first chapter! =D**

**So how was it? Did you love it? Hate it? I'm sure it needs work, as this is unbeta'd, so let me know how I can improve! How fast I'll update depends on the amount of reviews I get, so please review! Anything (except flames, of course) will be greatly appreciated, and any suggestions are also fantastic! Take care and hope to hear from you! **

**-Ana**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! Thank you so much to Desertfox511, neuroticat, and DoctorLokiLove for reviewing – you guys are FABULOUS! And to those who are just reading (and there were plenty of people who did **_**just**_** read) can you please take a few seconds to review? It gives me more motivation, and I would be eternally grateful! **** Well, enough of my rant – let's get on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: Avengers *sob* are not mine. **

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Loki walked down the hallway to Echo's cell, his face impassive and to all who saw him it seemed that he was annoyed to have to interrogate the prisoner. In truth, Loki was incredibly excited to see what he could dig out of Echo – because of course he had no doubt that he could break her - and was eager to hear her story. _'How many dark secrets is she hiding?'_ Loki thought as he pushed open the steel doors.

Echo was sitting on the bench inside her cell, her back straight and feet planted firmly on the ground, ignoring the agent that was questioning her. _'Well, attempting to.' _ Loki shook his head slowly, feeling pity for the man whose face was turning red in anger.

Loki walked up behind the sitting man, and putting a hand on his shoulder, said, "I'll take it from here. You may leave." The man started, having been so engrossed on wanting to get an answer out of Echo, but nodded and stood up from his chair sadly.

Loki kept his eyes on Echo's face as he heard the door slam shut, and after a few seconds he saw her eyes dart to the side at him before looking straight ahead again. Smirking, Loki stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back, until he was behind the chair. Placing his hands on the back, he leaned forward slightly, taking in her appearance.

She was handling his scrutiny very well – usually after only two seconds his victims would begin trembling and after another second they would be pouring out their souls to spare their lives. But after a minute of being under his stare, she was still looking straight ahead, nothing in her body language betraying her true – _there! _ Loki's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the minutest squint of her eyes, revealing the stress she's feeling under his stare.

An evil grin formed on his face, and he moved around to sit on the chair. "So, Miss Valentina," he started, and was amused to see her subtly flinch at his voice. "Are you ready to start talking?" A slight pursing of her lips, her eyes closed, and then she slowly turned her head towards him. She opens her eyes again, and Loki almost gasped out loud at the sight of those deep chocolate brown orbs.

The last time he saw her up close, he remembered that her eyes had been those of blackest night, intent only on destroying him and his team. Curious, he cleared his throat, and asked again, "Are you ready to answer my questions? I warn you, my patience will only last for a certain time."

Her eyes suddenly flared with anger, and her voice cut through the silence, "And _my_ patience has long been spent! Your team has been infuriatingly annoying – I would have thought that at least your Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark would have enough sense to see I would not talk." She turned her head away from him again, saying haughtily, "And now _you_ are going to continue their efforts to break me, right? Well, give it your best shot, I suppose."

Loki was amazed at her outburst, and his earpiece exploded with sound as his teammates' vent their anger. He could understand their anger, for she hadn't said one word to them but suddenly spoke back to him. He heard Bruce yell at the others to be quiet, and Loki turned back to the prisoner.

"Oh, I will do much more than give 'my best shot', my dear," he purred. "You will be on your knees begging for mercy when I'm through with you." There was a quiet, 'Are you sure we should've let him talk to her?' from Clint in his ear, but he only smirked and ignored his teammates.

"Ah, yes. You are the one who wanted everyone to _kneel_, but after being defeated, you gave in and joined this team to fight evil instead." She stood up, fixing her gloves, then walked so she was standing in front of him, a few feet and the glass between them. "Pretty pitiful. You didn't want to do the time, and took the easiest way out."

Loki's fists clenched in anger and his eyes flashed dangerously, but he kept his voice calm as he said, "On the contrary, I _was_ punished for my actions, but as I was not completely in control of myself at the time, I was able to negotiate with my father for a different sentence."

She crossed her arms, and scoffed, "Negotiate? You mean beg, right? You probably couldn't take the pain and pleaded to your father for forgiveness to stop the punishment!"

Something snapped in him after she mentioned 'pain', and growled, "You know nothing of _pain_, mortal. I've had to endure much more than you could possibly hope to withstand, and yet I was able to free myself from that madness' grip." He glared at Echo, who had begun to pace and was refusing to meet his eyes. "I was able to escape because I had a family who still cared for me even after all I had done. I suppose you had nothing of the sort, no-one to steer you in the right direction, no-one to _care_ enough to help you. Thus, you resorted to violence to gain attention," he spat, watching as Echo froze at his words.

He stood up straight, and said, "I was once as naïve as you are, but I have changed. Now, you would be wise to stop this foolishness and cooperate, or I will make you regret ever prolonging this interrogation." His deep voice reverberated around the cell for a moment, then all was silent again. Loki took a few breathes, not realizing how upset he had been until then, but kept his gaze on Echo, who was still frozen and looking straight ahead with blank eyes.

Then she blinked, taking a deep breath, and then turned back toward him, her eyes ablaze with fury. "Fine. Fine! I'll answer your damn questions! You want to know my terrible story so badly, want to know all my secrets?! Well fine! Then you'll realize how right you were in your stupid assumptions!"

She stomped over to the bench, quickly sitting down – and then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, Loki was shocked to see the hurt deep within them. Clasping her hands in her lap, she looked straight ahead of her, and began to talk.

"When I was only 2 years old, my mother was brutally murdered and my father's addiction to alcohol started. After a few months of drowning himself in drinks, he was called out with a few other gang members to do a job – and he didn't come back. Alive, at least. He had been drunk that night, as usual, and didn't see the bullet flying at his head until it was too late."

She suddenly laughed, startling Loki, before continuing, "I suppose this power isn't all bad, because if I didn't have it, I would've been killed that night. But, the gang leader knew of my 'gift' and decided to use it to his advantage. No-one else would ever stand up to his gang ever again, you know? But then again, sometimes I wish I had been killed, for what they made me do was beyond horrific."

"As I grew, they put me through harsh training, punishing me if I made the slightest mistake or was a millisecond too slow with my actions. In other words, they morphed me into the perfect machine – one that wouldn't fight back, that would follow orders no matter what they were, and that had nothing to lose."

Loki felt a wave of revulsion go through him at that image – a mere child already trained into a merciless killer, burning down buildings and towns, and the only positive comments to her were for doing a good job with her acts of destruction. But he didn't say anything, only moving to sit down on the chair, allowing her to talk without interruption.

"So, you were right. I had no-one to help 'steer me in the right direction', although I couldn't exactly prevent their deaths. Perhaps things could've been different if they lived, but then again probably not. My power was too good to pass by and my father, if I can even call him that, was already planning to hand me over for the gang's evil purposes. And yes, I didn't have anyone that cared about me. The gang only cared about my power and how they could harness it for their next evil scheme. If I made so much as one complaint, I was beaten, and then starved for a week while locked inside a steel box I could barely move in. Needless to say, I did not talk back often, and their weapon remained under their control."

She sighed deeply, then continued with, "The day you fought me, I had been sent on the simple job of stealing from the bank. I could've easily broken in at night, so no innocent lives would be taken, but they didn't want to waste time. I refused; they beat me, and then injected me with something that made me lose control of my powers. I know you probably won't believe this, but I have only the sparsest memory of what took place in the bank. I was extremely confused when I woke in this cell, but I soon figured out what had happened," she said sadly, looking down at her hands.

Loki doubted that last bit for a moment, but suddenly remembered how her eyes had been pitch black when they had been fighting. _'So, _that's_ explained. But what a horrific story.'_ Loki was extremely angry at the thought of these men taking advantage of her powers like that, making her commit these crimes against her will. _Much like he had been forced to kill by Thanos._ The thought resounded through his skull, realization at how similar they were hitting him full-force, and he felt something deep inside him begin to stir.

Taking in her small, but strong body, he noticed things he didn't before – the slight curve in her otherwise straight and tough shoulders as if she was holding a great heavy burden upon them, but trying desperately to hide it; the tiniest tremble in her hands that revealed the fear she actually felt; and when she met his gaze, his heart twisted to see the agony deep in her chocolate brown eyes.

Making up his mind, he decided to share his thoughts about her with the other Avengers, and try to convince them that she was just a hurt soul that needed help. And that they needed to act before it was too late and she finally broke.

However, on the outside, he gave no indication that he knew of the agony she was going through, and stood briskly. "Thank you for your cooperation," he managed to say with a clear voice, and then left the cell with no glance back.

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Echo was going through turmoil, not knowing whether she could trust Loki or not. Sure, he had implied that he had gone through a similar torture, but that could've been all a trick to get her to talk. And the way he had just left, without another word, made her truly doubt that he sympathized with her or not.

"Ah, what the hell is going on?" she whispered to herself, rerunning that whole scene in her mind. Sure, she thought he was attractive, especially those beautiful green eyes that she could just lose herself in. But she didn't think her heart could take much more torment if she allowed herself to fall for him.

But then again, while telling her story, she swore that she saw a glimmer of understanding, and pain...maybe even remembrance – in his eyes. So, maybe they had a connection...just maybe. Either way, she would try her best to show them that she was more than just a mindless killing machine. Maybe, with his help, and with the help of the Avengers, she would be able to change...that is, if they allowed her to work with them, and didn't just lock her up.

Another wave of despair rolled over her, and as she had just retold her painful past, she was in a vulnerable state. But then she blinked and no amount of willpower could hold back the silent tears that now coursed down her cheeks.

Leaning back against the glass wall, and closing her eyes, Echo let the tears flow for once in a very long time.

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**So, what do you think? Sympathizing with Echo, or does she just come across as pathetic? Please, share your thoughts, (although no mindless rude flames please), but thoughtful suggestions and reviews are certainly welcome! It only takes a few seconds to write a little something, but it gives me a ton of motivation to continue writing, especially since this is my first baby. **** Hope you liked this second chapter!**

**-Ana**


	3. Chapter 3

**Firstly, my huge thanks to DoctorLokiLove, iamdelilah, Liondove, and Kathalla for your wonderful reviews! Thank you also for those of you who favorited/followed as well – it means a lot! **** So, with this chapter, I'm a little iffy about it, but hopefully after the next one it'll start to pick up... Haha, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, the Avengers, Robert Downey Jr's ass – I'm sorry, was that out loud? (He does have a marvelous bum though!) ;D**

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Once back in the hallway and away from Echo's hurt-filled eyes, Loki teleported back into the meeting room, where the others were already discussing what to do about Echo.

"We can't just let her go, not after all she's done! She's even admitted that she murdered tons of people with her gang!" Fury yelled in annoyance.

Loki went to take a seat beside Tony, curious to see where the others stood on this subject. "We wouldn't be letting her entirely off the hook, at least not immediately," Tony answered. "We could keep her around here, keep an eye on her, and see for ourselves if she really wants to change or not. From there we can decide what else to do."

"Well, I believe that she has done too much wrong to even think about giving her a chance," Natasha burst out with, causing Loki to frown at her. After the time he spent with the Avengers, Loki now knew about most of their pasts, and knew that Natasha had once been an enemy of SHIELD as well. Clint was actually the one who gave her that second chance.

Watching Clint's face as he looked over at Natasha, Loki could tell that Clint was willing to give Echo a second chance, due to the similarities between the two women. Steve also piped in with, "With the right guidance, I'm sure we can sort her out. She has potential, we all know that from the fight. She was just steered in the wrong way, if what she told Loki is true."

"_If_ she told the truth. That's the crucial question," Fury cut in rudely. "Can we really risk allowing her to roam the Tower, on the slight chance that she told the truth? How do we know we were not just played?"

"Um, she wouldn't be allowed to roam the entire Tower," Tony interrupts, an annoyed expression on his face. "Hell, I don't even allow _you guys_ on all of the floors of this building, so no way would _she_ be free to all levels. No, we'd keep her nice and cozy in the main floor where we live, and that way we could keep a close eye on her."

"But we could not trust her completely, Man of Iron. From her story, I believe she has done too much evil, and no amount of good can fix the path she has taken. Our friend Natasha is different from the girl Echo – Natasha was saved in time, but I fear Echo is too far gone."

At this Loki jumped into the conversation, and said in annoyance, "Yes, we can all agree that Echo is not Natasha. That does not mean that she has no hope in the future! After all, _I _was able to change!" Silence followed his statement, and even Loki himself was surprised at his sudden outburst.

Realizing the truth however, Loki looked at the others and said slowly, "_I_ was able to change. With _your_ help." Catching Thor's eyes, he continued with, "Please, brother – as you once remained by my side even in my darkest hours, do not give up on this mortal just yet. Save her as you once rescued me."

Loki could tell that he got through to Thor, by the understanding expression on his face, and glancing at the others', Loki knew that he had won the argument.

They pulled up a screen to monitor Echo, and Loki's heart clenched to see her frail body slumped against the wall, eyes closed and fists tight, while tears coursed down her cheeks. It seemed that all the strength and anger that she had had while arguing with Loki had been seeped out of her, only leaving a delicate shell ready to break.

Thor looked at Loki, seeing the pained expression on his face, and realized that Loki had fallen for this mortal. He decided that he'd help bring her back up to strength, for his sake, so that Loki could finally have someone to care for. Thor hoped that Echo too, would care for Loki, so they could help each other heal completely.

As they watched the screen, Echo's tears seemed to stop, and she wiped her face angrily, obviously upset at allowing herself to cry. She stood up, straightening her clothes, and then began pacing the cell slowly, her gaze becoming concentrated, eyebrows furrowed slightly in anger.

A wave of déjà vu went through the group, as they remembered that only 2 years ago, there had been a young man pacing in the same way. A voice broke through the silence as Thor placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, and said that they would help Echo, although they would have to remain cautious.

Loki nodded slightly, barely paying attention to the others continue talking as his eyes remained glued to the screen as Echo walked slowly around the cell.

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Loki was becoming anxious, for the others had agreed that they would give Echo a chance, and Loki assumed that she would be freed from the cursed cage immediately!

However, Bruce had said that they would watch her for the next few days, to see if she would try to escape and such, and then determine if she would be allowed to live with them. This angered Loki, but he had to agree that they can't rush into this, so as to make sure that Echo was truly on their side.

The first two days pass without incident, but all attempts at conversation fall flat, and Echo was soon left alone. Whenever Loki looked on the screen, she was either pacing or sitting on the bench staring straight ahead, but her face was always a mask.

Ever since that interrogation and how she had unwillingly cried afterwards, she hadn't let one emotion cross her face again. Loki was determined to get her to change, to show the others that she wasn't all bad, and more importantly to show Echo that she wasn't as bad as she thinks.

It was early afternoon on the third day, and Loki was on the way down to the cell with Tony to check on Echo. She'd been in the same position for the past hour, and her face was somewhat in shadow, so they couldn't tell what she was up to. Loki hoped that she was behaving herself, for he doesn't want her to blow her second chance.

The doors opened, and Loki and Tony strode forward, immediately spotting Echo on the left side of the cell. Loki took in her stance – relaxed shoulders, leaning backwards against the glass wall; arms folded loosely across her chest; her left leg crossed over her right, making it take most of her weight – and then saw in surprise that her eyes were closed.

Seeing how her chest rose and fell slowly, he realized with a grin that she had fallen asleep standing up. "She looks so different from when she was attacking us, huh?" Loki had to agree, for her expression was one of complete peace, the raw emotion a bit shocking after all that time of seeing her with that 'mask' on. Tony moved to press the intercom, to wake her up, but Loki held him back, not wanting to disturb her from this moment of calm.

As they stood there watching her, suddenly Loki noticed that her eyebrows were now somewhat furrowed, her eyelids fluttering slightly. Looking at Tony, Loki knew that he saw it too, and looked back at Echo to see her hands clench and unclench rapidly.

Tony called to the others, asking the closest to come over just in case. The temperature gauge from the cell suddenly started beeping, and they saw that the temperature had risen a great deal in the last few seconds.

Loki walked closer to the cell, and saw the slightest bit of smoke coming from Echo's clothing. She was also visibly trembling, although still asleep, unable to escape the nightmare.

Tony pressed the button for the intercom – "Echo, wake up," – just as Clint came in through the doors. Loki saw that Echo heard Tony, her eyes struggling to open, but she was still too caught up in the dream to fully awake.

"Echo," Tony called more firmly this time, and she stopped moving suddenly. Tony was about to speak again when a blast of fire ripped through the cell, causing Loki to cover his eyes for a moment. "Holy shit!" he heard Tony yell out.

Blinking back stars, he saw that Echo was now on the floor, her eyes shut tight, struggling to hold the fire back. Her hands became on fire, were extinguished, then were suddenly aflame again, in a sporadic bursts. Clint pressed a button on the control board, and the sprinklers specially made for such an emergency were activated.

The water doused the flames, but don't seem to wake Echo. Loki, Tony, and Clint opened the doors to the cell, and run to Echo. Clint placed a hand on Echo's shoulder, but released her in a flash, yelling "She's burning up!"

Loki made his hands cooler with his Frost Giant powers, then grabbed Echo's shoulders, and shook her in an attempt to wake her. Her forehead was still creased with worry, her body trembling in fear or cold from the water, Loki was unsure. However Clint was correct that she was burning up, for he felt her body heat even through the icy coolness of his hands.

Tony suddenly placed his right hand on Loki's, but ignored the questioning looks from Clint and himself. "Tony, what are yo–" but Loki was cut off by a quick shake of Tony's head. After a few seconds, he released Loki, then brought his now frosty hand back.

Before Loki could utter a single complaint when he realized what Tony was doing, Tony slapped Echo soundly on the cheek. Echo went limp in his grip, and Loki felt her body temperature slowly decrease.

Returning his own hands to a normal heat, he placed a hand on Echo's forehead, then said with relief, "She's already cooled down exponentially."

With a sigh, Clint went out and shut off the sprinklers as Tony attempted one last time to wake Echo. It didn't work, but Tony doesn't push it. "Whenever Bruce had an episode, he would collapse and sleep forever afterwards."

Loki nodded, and rather than leave Echo lying in the middle of the soaking floor, lifted her gently, and placed her on her back on the bench. Without thinking, he moved a strand of hair off of her face, before realizing what he had done, and walked away quickly in embarrassment.

They leave the cell soon afterwards, calling Steve and Natasha to take their places in watching Echo, as they were drenched and needed to get dry. Before leaving the room, Loki took one last look at Echo and was relieved to see her face restful once again.

* * *

**So, that was a bit shorter than the others were, but was it ok? I know, it seems pretty boring since she's still in the cell, but the next chapter will be the last she spends in it, don't worry! Anyways, it's the same drill – please, **_**please,**_** leave a review? I'm really not asking for a huge paragraph, just a few words of support, a suggestion/critique, nothing too elaborate! Remember, the amount of time between updates is reduced when the # of reviews is increased! :D**

**-Ana**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there! I'm back with another chapter, and I hope it's to your satisfaction! But first, I'd like to thank those fantastic (though few *sniff*) people who've reviewed: Kathalla, DoctorLokiLove, Aqualover5711, and iamdelilah, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a little something! It really makes it easier to continue writing. **

**And, of course, thanks to all of you who've favorited/followed my story as well – you don't know how happy I am when I get those notifications!**

**All righty then, enough of this; enjoy this chapter! :) **

* * *

Loki headed down to the cell again, although alone this time, and prepared himself for another long interrogation. Frowning slightly, he hoped that Echo would be more cooperative this time around. Although he was concerned about her well-being, he was more interested in the story behind her episode. _'What could've made her go over the edge?'_

At that point, Loki realized the steel doors were right in front of him, and took a deep breath before pushing them open. When he entered the room, Echo was sitting on the bench again, her chin in her hands. With a small grin, he noticed that although her head didn't move, her eyes followed his every step.

Grabbing a chair that someone had brought down earlier, Loki sat in front of the cell nonchalantly, and merely waited for Echo to turn toward him. As he was waiting, Loki noticed that her eyes were rimmed with dark shadows, her brow was creased with worry, and her shoulders were tense as she sat looking straight ahead.

Taking in her form, he realized that after her collapse, she hadn't fallen asleep since. _'Why won't she allow herself to sleep?' _When she blinked, it seemed like a great effort to raise her eyelids again, and Loki feared that she might collapse right then and there.

Finally, with an almost comical sigh, Echo turned to Loki, extending one leg in front of her on the bench while the other remained on the floor. Her face remained indifferent, excepting one eyebrow that was arched, as if asking, "Well?"

Leaning forward, Loki looked Echo in the eye and asked bluntly, "What happened yesterday?" Echo held Loki's gaze easily, unresponsive, but he saw a flicker of panic before the mask was firmly replaced. Satisfied with that small sign of unease, Loki waited for Echo to reply, knowing that she wasn't going to fight long.

"What do you mean? I lost control of my powers, and that was it." Her voice was strong and clear, not revealing any other emotion that she might be feeling. But Loki did not believe her – she had been in some sort of pain before the explosion, at least mentally due to the nightmare.

Rather than argue and allow her to stall, he simply sat back in the chair and waited, keeping his eyes on hers. They sat there for a few seconds – although it felt like several tense minutes – and Loki was amazed to see numerous emotions flicker through her eyes rapidly. Fear, uncertainty, hopelessness, despair, and confusion shone clearly within those brown orbs...and then she blinked.

Sighing again, she looked down at her palms, as if looking for the words to say in them. Loki was so focused on her sad expression that he almost missed when she started talking, and became alert with a start.

"Most of my episodes start when I am asleep, because that's when I let my guard down, and the- the memories I lock up during the day attack full-force. They creep into my dreams, and then suddenly I'm reliving the most terrible moments of my life, with no way to wake up." She shrugged casually, as if it were no big deal, and said, "People can try their best to snap me out of it, but I'm so caught up the memory that I barely register what's going on around me."

Loki then remembered how she had seemed to respond to Tony's yells, but wasn't able to wake up entirely until he had slapped her. "And only physical actions can bring you out of the trance?' Loki asked, and Echo looked up in surprise. "Yes," she answered hesitantly, then shrugged again and continued, "Most of the time. A few times I was strong enough to pull myself out of it...but that was when the memories weren't as bad."

She looked down again, clenching her fists in anger. Licking his lips, Loki wondered if it would be wise to ask his next question, but decided that he and the others needed to know. "And what kind of memories are they that plague you?"

Her reaction is instantaneous, her head whipping up to fix him with a glare, and Loki felt a twinge of regret at asking, but kept his face calm. "And why should I tell you that? So you can tell the others what a monster I truly am, and that it was wrong to even think of giving me a second chance?! Why am I even still here?! I've done so much wrong, there's no amount of good I can do to try and fix it!" She had stood up during her exclamation, and Loki watched with concerned eyes as she paced the cage.

She stopped then, and Loki was shocked to see the grief written clearly across her face as she looked at the floor, her shoulders sagging. "The people I've killed, the lives I've ruined...I'm a terrible person, and nobody ever taught me how to be otherwise." Loki's heart wrenched as he realized how bad Echo actually thought about herself. However, a wave of relief went through him, for her mask had at least cracked with her show of anger and sorrow.

Loki focused again when she held his gaze with fiery eyes, unshed tears filling them; "The memories I'm _'plagued'_ with, as you so eloquently put it, are the missions that I had to complete while with my gang, where I had to kill anyone and everyone they ordered me to, or else they would kill _me_." Loki's look of dismay was lost on her as she became engrossed in her rant, looking at the far wall rather than at him.

"The memories of people screaming as I burnt them alive, their faces full of terror as I walked towards them with my hands aflame, those same faces black and unrecognizable the next second, mouths still open in horrified screams because –" She sniffed back some tears before continuing, "because I'm such an awful person. And even when I refused to do it, to just kill me instead and get it over with because that was better than being their secret monster, they just injected me with something that made me lose control of my powers, and made me easier to control for the others."

Loki was horrified at hearing this, that they would use her like that, like a killing machine. No wonder she thought so badly of herself, if they had treated her like a weapon and nothing else. At least _he_ had been treated as a son, even though he was the spawn of the 'enemy' as he later found out– Echo hadn't had any form of affection ever.

Turning her gaze back to him, she said harshly, "There, I told you. Now you can go back to the others and finally just get rid of me. That's why they sent you here, right? To prove that I'm an unstable wreck, and that I'll never change."

Loki took a deep breath, having not breathed properly throughout her tirade, and said firmly, 'No, Echo. We want to give you a second chance, we just needed to-' then he froze, for they _had_ hesitated in freeing her immediately due to her unstable powers.

Echo just nodded her head, knowing exactly what he was going to say, and wiping her eyes roughly, she walked back to the bench and sat down again. "I understand that you were once a 'villain', and I know you killed a lot of people too, eighty in two days even." Loki stood up rapidly at the reminder, eyes flashing dangerously, but she didn't even notice, still looking ahead of her.

"You took over the minds of many people, too, including one of your current teammates. You tried to take over this world, having a temper tantrum just because you wanted to be king." Loki took a few quick steps forward, anger rising rapidly, ignoring the voices of his teammates in his ear.

He had his fingers over the button to open the cage door, but her next words made him freeze. "But then again," she started out softer. "You weren't in your right mind, just as captivated as the others. In that way, you're different than me...You weren't in control of yourself – most of the time, I was...I was."

She sounded so defeated, that it took Loki a second to compose himself, then he turned away to head out of the room. "Just go," he heard a soft voice say, and suddenly he was back in his old room in Asgard, watching a memory unfold in front of him.

_His younger self was sitting on the bed, head held in his hands, while a younger Thor was standing by the door, hand on the doorknob._

"_Brother?" Thor asked in a strangely calm voice, turning his head slightly._

"_Just go, I'll be ok," Loki heard himself say softly. He then watched in amazement as Thor turned around and walked back to the bed, wrapping a surprised younger Loki in a firm hug._

"_Yes, you will be ok. I will help you in every way that I can. I am here for you brother."_

Loki was shocked out of his revere, and turned back around, taking in the hopeless slump of Echo's shoulders, holding her head in her hands similar to the way he had. Making up his mind, he set his jaw, and pressed the button to open the cage door, ignoring Clint's voice from the earpiece he wore – "Loki, what are you doing?!"

At the whir of the door opening, Echo looked up quickly, then leapt to her feet getting in a defensive stance. Loki just strode forward, face impassive and serious, until he was right in front of her. She had been backing up as he walked forward, her fists still up and ready, but now she was caught against the wall with nowhere to go.

Loki could see the terror in her eyes even though she tried hard not to show it, and he had to admire her bravery. She suddenly moved, punching out with her left hand, but Loki just caught her fist in his hand. She tried to wrench out of his grip, while at the same time throwing her other fist toward his face.

He easily dodged and grabbed her other fist as well. Gripping both her wrists in one hand, he lifted his other hand – and then froze as she clenched her eyes tight, flinching away violently. "Damn," he heard Tony whisper in his ear.

Loki hadn't wanted to hit her – rather the opposite, having wanted to comfort her – but she had immediately assumed that the raise of his hand meant punishment was coming.

Feeling a wave of sympathy course through his body, Loki pulled Echo closer, and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She obviously wasn't expecting this, and he heard her give a little gasp of surprise.

After a few seconds however, he felt her arms move until they're wrapped around his waist, and then they tightened their hold on him, making him sigh in relief. "We will help you as best as we can, but you need to help us too. Keeping this attitude that you can do no good will only bring you down further; _believe me_. And learn to trust us. We want to help you, but only if you're completely truthful when you say you want to change."

Loki pulled Echo away and held onto her shoulders, meeting her slightly moist eyes. "You will only receive one second chance, and lying to us will only worsen the situation for you. Do you truly want to change?" His voice was firm, but he keeps his expression soft, not wanting to be too intimidating at this point. She nodded her head tentatively, keeping her eyes locked with his, and he saw the certainty behind them.

Nodding his head, he straightened up, and turned to go. A hand gripped his sleeve suddenly, and he looked back in surprise. Echo had her arm out to hold him back, but she refused to meet his gaze, looking at the floor as she said softly, "Thank you. For - for everything."

He smiled softly, but didn't say anything, waiting. She looked up to see his reaction, only to look down again with a blush, releasing his sleeve as if it were burning her. "Sorry," she stuttered, then strode quickly to the bench again.

Loki grinned at her behavior, and then left the cage, allowing the poor girl to relax. "All right, you rogue. Stop harassing the prisoner, and get back up here." Loki rolled his eyes at Steve's words, but did as he said, locking up again.

He stole one more glance back, noticing the subtlest change in how Echo held herself now, no longer as tense, and left the room with an immense feeling of satisfaction.

* * *

**Soooo...how'd I do with this one? Please, let me know!**

**So, I've been keeping the updates within 4 days of each other, and I will continue to try, but tmrw is my first day of college (ever!) and depending on homework/etc load, I may or may not be able to update as quickly. However, this is where you can help! I implore you, find the mercy deep within your heart and grant me this one little boon – leave a review! It'll give me the motivation to update quicker even if I'm packed with work! **** Virtual Nutella and orange chocolate bars to everyone who does! ;D **

**If all goes well, expect an update Friday! Take care everyone! **


	5. Chapter 5

**OK, starting off with my usual HUGE THANK YOU'S to those who've reviewed – Aqualover5711, DoctorLokiLove, iamdelilah – you guys are MAGNIFICENT! And thank you, of course, to those who've favorited/followed as well! It means a lot! :D  
All right, as promised, here's the update! **

**Disclaimer: *sob* I don't own MARVEL or the Avengers, only Echo and the plot for this story.**

* * *

Echo walked around the cell slowly, glancing around her without really seeing, her mind deep in thought. What would she do if it was all a trick, and she was not given the chance to join the Avengers? _'No,'_ she shook her head adamantly. _'They're not like that. They're supposed to be the _good_ guys.'_

Sighing, she began pacing again, not even realizing she had stopped after that thought. She knew she wouldn't survive being locked up in a cold cell, due to the claustrophobia that plagued her. The only reason she could stand this one was because of the glass walls that made it seem more open.

As she turned around to walk back, the basements' door opened, and although her face remained impassive, her heart did a little flutter as she saw Loki walking in with Tony, Clint and Fury. She stopped pacing, and turned to look at them, an eyebrow arched in indifference.

"OK, listen up. You will be allowed to live here in the Tower, under the heavy supervision of the Avengers." Glaring at her, Fury continued gruffly, "If you show good behavior, you _may_ be allowed to train as well, but that's to be decided later in the future."

Echo was extremely happy to hear that news, and knew she would have to work hard. On the outside, however, she remained cold, and only nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you for the chance," she said, allowing a bit of her relief to leak into her voice.

Upon hearing it, Loki became surprised at hearing the raw emotion. After all that time of hiding, it was strange to hear and looking at Clint and Tony, he knew they heard it too. Looking back at Echo, he hoped that it meant she was serious about changing.

"Don't screw up, because this is your first and last chance. Any bad behavior, and it's a jail cell for you, got that?" With that, Fury left, his black jacket billowing behind him. Loki rolled his eyes at the theatrics of it – _'And he says that _I _am dramatic.'_

"Does he ever smile?" Loki immediately grinned at her quip, and Clint snickered quietly. Tony walked over to unlock the door, and Clint and Loki braced themselves instinctively in case she was lying.

She calmly walked out of the cell, hiding her relief for being out of that enclosed area, although Clint noticed that she walked a bit too quickly for normal. Logging that bit of information away, he resolved to talk with the others about it later.

There was a small silence as they all looked at each other, and Loki had to hold in a laugh at how ridiculous they seemed. Then Tony walked to the door, and motioned for Echo to follow him. Loki followed close behind her with Clint, still slightly on guard.

Tony showed her the kitchen, the gym, training area, and finally the floor where the bedrooms were, along with the huge living room. "All right, so here's the deal," Tony turned to Echo as they stood in the living room. "You are allowed to explore a bit, but must be with someone else at all times, at least in the beginning. If no one is available to escort you, then you will stay in your quarters or here in the living room."

Feeling like a child being reprimanded, Echo nodded grudgingly, her eyes absorbing everything and anything she saw, mesmerized by everything. Tony saw her awe for his Tower, and couldn't help but ask, "So what do you think?"

She smirked, and Loki spotted the mischievous glint in her eyes as she said, "It is...adequate." He grinned, while Clint laughed aloud at Tony's shocked face.

"Ha! Adequate? Well, I guess compared to your old home, it's like a dump right?" He joked, but Echo's face fell for a second. Loki held his breath, ready to step in if she would become angry, but he needn't have worried. In a moment she was smiling again, and laughing along with Tony.

"I'll get used to it," she laughed, and as she caught Tony's eyes, both felt that there was a bond already forming between them. Smiling at Echo, Tony led her past the living room and into a hallway lined with doors.

"These are our bedrooms. There's Steve's room, your room, Bruce's room, and Clint's room." Pointing to the other side of the hallway, he continued with, "There's Natasha's room, Loki's room, my room, and Thor's room."

'_Between the Hulk and the super soldier;' _She wasn't going to do anything anyways, but Echo was surprised that they put the stronger people closest to her – was she really that dangerous?

Loki chanced a glance at Echo's face, and noticed the sadness flash across her face for a moment. But after that hug, the others had been insufferable around him, so he controlled himself and stayed where he was.

He noticed movement beside him, and looked at Clint who was smirking at him. Making an annoyed noise in the back of his throat, Loki asked Tony, "If we're done here...?"

At Tony's irritated face, Loki winced inwardly, realizing how rude he had sounded. But it wasn't natural for him to apologize, so he just arched an eyebrow at Tony, waiting for an answer.

Pursing his lips, Tony waved Loki away, who didn't particularly like being dismissed in such a manner but left without another word. As he entered the elevator, he heard Clint volunteer to watch Echo the first day, and then all was silent as the doors closed.

Leaning his forehead against the wall, he murmured with a grin, "This will be interesting."

* * *

To say it was an interesting first two weeks was an understatement; everyone was on edge, ready to jump into action at the slightest move from Echo. If she coughed or sneezed, Clint and Natasha would put their hands on their weapons before realizing that she wasn't going to attack.

There were a few tense moments when Echo's eyes would flicker between her normal brown and the pitch black, and she'd have to fight to control herself. At those times Bruce and Steve would be right there in case her alter-ego, as they realized she had, won the struggle.

Thor always had his hammer close by, so he could easily summon it if she got out of control, and Tony wore his wristbands to call the Mark VII quickly if need be.

Loki grinned in reminiscence – it was exactly as it had been when he had returned to the Tower to start living with the Avengers. Sighing softly, he hoped that it would turn out as well for Echo as it had with him.

All Echo did was walk around the Tower, getting acquainted with the major rooms, read books, and have small conversations with the others. The others began to relax a bit after awhile, and soon realized that they enjoyed the time they had while watching her. They didn't need to even speak too much, just be around her.

Especially Loki. He loved just sitting on the couch opposite her reading a book, although his own book lay forgotten in his lap usually. He was more than happy watching her subconscious reactions to the book, her fingers curling in her hair, and then when she caught him watching her, the small smile that crept onto her face.

What he didn't know was that she snuck glances at him too, memorizing his face, features, and habits as well. And if the others noticed their behavior, they wisely kept their mouths shut, not wanting to invite the wrath of either.

During the third week, Echo asked during dinner if she could start training. Before Loki or the others could talk, she interrupted, "I'm not asking much. I promise not to use my powers. I swear. I just need to exercise and stay in shape. It can help me keep the episodes at bay as well."

After a little talk after dinner, they agreed to allow her to train, but changed her rule a bit so that she would need two people in the room with her. Tony also began working on a plan to remodel the training area so that it would be fireproof as well.

Once she was given the say-so, Echo leapt into a hard routine. They were impressed by her no-pain no-gain kind of attitude, and loosened up quicker than they expected. When the first few days went by smoothly, they were comfortable enough to do their own workouts while she did hers.

After the first time Loki and Bruce had paired to supervise Echo, he could barely tear his eyes from her athletic body, only covered by a tank top and spandex shorts. Needless to say, he didn't volunteer to watch her in training after that, especially when Bruce started teasing him about his 'ogling eyes'.

One day Clint and Natasha were training in the gym, while Echo did her work out on the other side, and there was an easy-going feeling around the room. As Echo began a different type of workout, moving around slowly, her feet and arms moving in circles, Natasha asked her, "That's the Northern Shaolin style of kung fu...where did you learn that?"

Echo looked at her in surprise, then answered slowly, "In my gang, there was only one person who treated me like a human. He taught me how to fight and defend myself without having to resort to my fire immediately. He tried to save me as much as he could, but once they created the serum to make me lose control of my powers, there was nothing else he could do."

Natasha walked up to Echo, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, and said, "If you'd like, I can help you hone your skills, because both Clint and I are trained to the highest levels of many styles of kung fu and karate."

"That would be...wonderful," Echo said, a genuine smile gracing her face for once in a long time. "Thank you."

"Great, now we'll have _two_ strong females here. What is the world coming to?" They heard a low voice say, and turned to fix Clint with intense glares. "Shit, I was just kidding guys, haha...ha, I'll just go, all right?" He scurried out of the gym faster than they could blink, leaving the other two standing there in shock. Echo took one look at Natasha, and they both burst out laughing.

That was probably the first real bonding that Echo had with the others, especially when Clint and Natasha repeated what she had told them at dinner that night. Everyone eagerly joined into the conversation to share their own training stories.

Laughing with the others, Loki couldn't tear his eyes from Echo, and the true smile that shone on her face. Catching the others' eyes, as Echo blushed and looked down at one of Tony's crude jokes, Loki saw that they all knew that she'd be all right with them.

* * *

Two weeks after that memorable dinner, Loki found himself talking to Tony and Bruce about Echo. Loki didn't know what to say around her, because he didn't want her to figure out that he had feelings for her just yet.

He knew that the other Avengers knew of his feelings for her, but they wouldn't say anything to her...although that didn't stop them from teasing him with winks whenever he was seen with her. _'The bastards. They could be a little more discreet!_'

They were in one of Tony's numerous labs, where they were tinkering on some new project that Tony had brainstormed recently. Loki looked on, although he slipped in and out of the conversation, lost in his thoughts.

Bruce's voice finally cut into Loki's mind, and he snapped out of it to hear him say, "You should just start slowly, and see how Echo reacts." Bruce wouldn't tell Loki that Echo was behaving the same as him, wanting to let Loki figure it out himself. "Just start with small gestures, paying attention when she talks, ask her if she wants to go for a coffee–"

"Yeah, and then you can do a cheesy little thing like kiss the cream off of her lips instead of letting her wipe it off with a napkin. That's bound to get her attention!" Loki blushed madly at the image, while Bruce smacked Tony in the shoulder.

Tony laughed uproariously, choking out, "What? That worked on you, didn't it?!" That caused Loki to start chuckling, still blushing slightly, and Bruce started spluttering in embarrassment.

Then the door opened, and none other than Echo walked in.

* * *

Echo was riding the elevator, wandering around the Tower like a child. She had chosen a random floor number, and pushed the button. The Tower was so big, she still hadn't seen all of it – not that Tony would allow her or the others to see all of it – and could only find her way on a few of the floors.

She didn't need supervision anymore, but they gave her a walkie-talkie so that she could ask for help when wandering around. A big smile broke across her face as she remembered how upset Fury had looked that she had behaved herself. She was sure he still didn't trust her, but the others did, albeit still a bit apprehensive, when they gave her the walkie-talkie.

Looking around, she gave up as she couldn't figure out where she was, and started reaching for said walkie-talkie. But then Tony's voice was suddenly heard, and the sound of laughter coming down the hall.

Relieved that she wasn't completely lost, she followed the sound, and tried the doorknob to the room. She opened it and found Tony and Bruce behind a table, looking at a screen, and Loki on the other side of the table.

Bruce and Loki looked kind of flustered, and as Echo entered, she was surprised to see a small blush creep onto Loki's cheeks. Before she could investigate further, he gruffly said, "I need to work on...something."

Loki passed Echo before looking back, and as he caught sight of the other two, an annoyed expression crossed his face. Tony had mouthed '_smooth_', while Bruce giggled silently behind his hand. As Echo looked back at Tony and Bruce, they quickly composed themselves, and then she heard the door slam.

Loki breathed in relief when he was out of the room, and walked to find _something_ to do. _'Of all the imbecilic – _something_ to do?!'_ Fuming, he stalked away, trying to regain his dignity.

Echo's face fell as she looked back at the closed door, where Loki had just disappeared. She had hoped to spend some time with him as well, but he had left so quickly!

Looking back at Bruce, she saw a knowing smile pass over his face, as well as a smirk appear on Tony's face. "So, looks like our youngest member has been struck by cupid!" Echo pursed her lips as her face heated up, though she smiled and nodded slightly.

"But, what if he doesn't react the right way? We're doing pretty good right now, and I don't want to ruin anything. I don't want to make the first move, and push him away, you know?"

Tony and Bruce exchanged looks, and their project was quickly forgotten in exchange for the exciting prospect of being matchmakers. "Well, just send little hints at first. Brush his shoulder when you leave a room, smile at him when he enters the room, little stuff like that."

Bruce smiled slightly as a small smile graced her lips at those ideas, before continuing, "Let him figure out that she likes him, and see what he does next. If all goes to plan, then you just need to wait. But let him make the first move, so you know for sure that he likes you too."

There's a small gleam in her eyes that wasn't there before, and Tony and Bruce grin at each other, satisfied with their work. Now all they had to do was wait.

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**All righty, so, I don't know how I feel about this chapter. They were originally going to be two chapters, but then they were too short to be separate, so that's why this seems kind of jumbled. Well, I hope it was ok anyways. (What did you think of Bruce and Tony being matchmakers, hehe.) Drop me a review, please, and I'll try to update on Tuesday! Take care everyone! :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Again, thank you so much to my faithful reviewers - Kathalla, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, iamdelilah, Aqualover5711 – you guys are magnificent people, and it never ceases to make me smile when I open my inbox after updating and see all the notifications. :)**

**And, of course, thanks to all those who have favorited/followed my story as well! You guys are as equally cherished as the reviewers (although it wouldn't hurt anyone if you dropped a little something too!) ;D **

**OK, enough of that. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: Avengers are not mine - (although why I need to state this, I have no idea.) :P**

* * *

Loki was sitting at the kitchen table with Natasha, Bruce, and Thor, eating eggs and toast, a typical breakfast he came to enjoy on Earth. He remembered the first time he had tried coffee as well – now _that_ was a delicious mortal drink! He had been deterred by the slightly foul smell it emitted, but after Steve and Thor urged him to "At least try", he had become captivated with the strong drink.

Thor still tossed down tons of Pop-tarts each day, but Loki couldn't see how such a sugary treat could be good for breakfast. Watching his brother with bored eyes, he lost the little bit of appetite he had had when Thor laughed loudly, his mouth full of his favorite breakfast food.

His chin in his hand, Loki pushed his eggs around with his fork, still thinking about what Tony and Bruce had told him. _'But what if she doesn't respond well to my advances? I can get hurt as well, even if the others don't think so!' _he thought to himself, pouting slightly.

Thor boomed out with, "Loki, eat your food while it is still warm!" Loki just glared at him, causing Thor to ask, "Why are you so upset brother?!" when suddenly Echo and Steve entered the kitchen, laughing about something.

Loki was surprised to feel a bit of jealousy toward the super soldier - Natasha saw this, and grinned evilly as she planned a little something - but was happy to see Echo smiling brightly.

At times when she thought nobody was looking, a look of sadness would cross over her face.  
But when she caught your eye, she would smile widely as if she hadn't looked as if she was about to start crying. Those smiles never quite reached her eyes. With a jolt, Loki realized he was getting better at reading Echo's expressions.

Feeling the unbidden blush creep up his cheeks, Loki coughed and resumed pushing his eggs around his plate.

"Steve, come sit by me." Loki glanced up to see him sit down, and then noticed that the only empty seat was next to him.

As Echo prepared her Cheerios with her back to the table, Loki peeked at Natasha to see if she had planned that. At the devilish smirk on her face, his face fell comically. _'All these heroes are against me! Why do they torture me so?!'_

Echo walked over at that moment, and as she sat down her knee touched his briefly. Loki immediately froze, then coughed into his sleeve and moved his knee away at the same time.

"Are you ok?" Her concerned voice cut into his thoughts, and as he met those deep brown eyes a jolt went through him. He searched them to see if that nudge was intentional, but worry and innocence shone clearly in them...and not a hint of malice.

Sighing, he answered, "Yes...I am ok." She smiled back at him, then continued eating her breakfast.

Turning his gaze back to his food, Loki noticed that Bruce and Natasha were looking at him with smirks on their faces. Huffing, he took a forkful of eggs and shoved them into his mouth, locking his eyes on his plate to avoid being ridiculed further.

After that however, they had a rather nice breakfast, uneventful other than Steve and Thor having a mini eating contest. _'Those barbarians.' _As Echo stood up, Loki couldn't help but breath in relief, the tension he had felt leaving his body.

As she turns back, Echo remembered to ask Loki if he could help her with some exercises later on. As she went to him, she caught Bruce's eye and was reminded of the conversation they had the other day.

Smirking devilishly at Bruce, she put her hand gently on Loki's shoulder, and leaned in slightly as she said, "Hey Loki. Are you still able to help me later on in the gym?" She felt how he tensed up slightly at her touch, and smiled softly at him.

But although his body responded subconsciously to her touch, his face revealed nothing, and he answered in a clear voice. However, she was not deterred, for the way he had tensed was answer enough.

"Okay then! See you later Loki." As she walked away, Echo decided to have a bit more fun, and swayed her hips a tad more than usual, grinning to herself.

* * *

Back in the kitchen, there was a stunned silence, and then Bruce's voice cut through, "JARVIS, where is Echo right now?"

"She is currently riding the elevator to the gym, sir." After hearing the coast was clear, Thor, Bruce and Natasha immediately started cracking up, laughing gleefully at Loki's mortified expression.

Steve looked a little confused, but then Thor bellowed out, "Oh brother, I am truly glad that you have found a love interest! We must inform Mother of this!" Steve grinned widely while looking at Loki's red face.

"Is this true Loki? Have you fallen for Echo?" Steve chuckled at the blush that formed on Loki's face along with the gruff "Yes" that he got in answer. "Well, I'm glad for you. But be careful not to hurt her – she's a part of the team now, even if not officially yet."

Giving Loki a stern – '_it could only be described as _fatherly' – look, Steve continued with, "She might seem like a strong lady, but the littlest things can hurt more than you know. You don't know how many times Bucky and I have fought over the smallest of things. So just be careful, ok?"

Loki saw that Steve supported him, but took the warning seriously, knowing what the super soldier was capable of. Nodding to him, Loki excused himself to take the elevator down to the gym, wanting to 'exact revenge' on Echo for what she had done.

Grinning mischievously at his plans, he exited the elevator and headed down the hall to the gym.

* * *

Echo was doing her 'Avatar' exercises, as the others decided to christen them...well, Clint and Tony mostly.

"_Hey, I remember where I saw those moves! From that kid show, what was it called – 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', or something like that!" (Tony)_

"_Oh, yeah! With the elements and all that, right?!" (Clint)_

"_Yeah! Oh hey, we have our own firebender here!"_

"_Awesome!"_

"_...you two are such _children_."_

"_You're just jealous Steve, because you don't know what we're talking about."_

Echo was moving slowly, throwing fireballs at targets on the walls gracefully. Tony was in another section of the gym, using a weight machine while Clint was alongside Echo, firing arrows at different targets placed around his area.

The two were still cautious around Echo, due to her destructive power, but she hadn't had an episode yet, so they only glanced at her every now and then. They looked up when Loki came in, who paused inside the doorway as he caught sight of Echo.

It was as if she was dancing, a deadly dance of fire and pain, but elegant no less. She had her eyes closed; only opening them to launch a fireball at the target she had somehow aimed perfectly at.

Loki sneaked behind Echo, winking at Tony and Clint on his way, who grinned mischievously back at him, continuing their workouts but keeping an eye on him to see the action.

As she moved her right arm in an arc, he whipped out _his_ arm to catch her wrist in his hand. Her eyes bursting open, she spun around, successfully getting out of his hold. She brought her other hand over to slice at his still extended arm, but he was too quick for her.

He withdrew it quickly, causing her to stagger ever-so-slightly, giving him the chance to bring his leg out to trip her. As she fell however, she went into a handstand, and flipped around to land in a crouch. With the momentum from the flip, she whipped her leg out to catch his feet.

Loki jumped up rapidly, watching as her leg sliced underneath his feet, then shot an arm out when he touched the ground again. He barely nicked her shoulder with the flat of his hand, and she grinned up at him, smug with dodging him for so long.

Accepting the challenge, he increased the speed, practically hearing the wind whistle as their arms and legs cut through the air.

Jumping and slicing through the air rapidly, they continued their dance for power, sweating and working hard, but smiling all the same.

Although Loki was having the time of his life, enjoying every moment of twisting around Echo's body, attempting to deliver blows while dodging her own attempts, he believed it had gone long enough. _'I _am_ here to get revenge, after all.'_ With a particularly evil grin, Loki went in for the kill.

Turning invisible, loving the exasperated look that went over Echo face, he began circling her. Prodding and pushing her rapidly, he forced her to spin around back and forth, disorienting her as she tried to get him but failed every time.

Loki hooked his left foot behind her right, pushing her shoulders gently but forcefully back, and she tripped over his invisible foot.

As she was dizzy from spinning, Echo fell backward with an embarrassing flailing of arms, unable to adjust herself in time to catch herself. But before she hit the ground, strong hands caught her, one on her back, the other gripping her arm gently.

She heard a small deep chuckle, and realized she had closed her eyes in preparation for hitting the ground. When she opened them, she found herself face to face with Loki, now fully visible and with a huge grin on his face.

She heard Tony and Clint roaring with laughter at her loss, cheering for Loki, but she was completely mesmerized with Loki's deep green eyes. The arm that was holding her own released its grip, and brushed some stray hairs out of her face. Embarrassed at the gesture, she could feel her face get hot with a blush.

Loki grinned down at Echo, loving the slight blush that covered her cheeks, and could barely restrain himself from kissing those perfect full lips right then and there. _ 'Slowly now. Slowly.'_

But that gave him an idea, and he leaned in slightly as if he were to do just that. Then, just when she started to lean in too, he grinned naughtily and lifted the surprised Echo to her feet, saying "Good training." He walked away with a slight swish of his hips, mimicking her from earlier, and could hear the angry huff that Echo emitted.

As he walked to the exit, he looked back, first seeing Clint and Tony still laughing at his joke. Echo, on the other hand, had an extremely naughty grin on her face as if to say 'Challenge accepted.'

He laughed joyously as he left the gym, having gotten his revenge quite successfully, if he did say so. Now he was ready to plan how he would ask Echo out. 'That_ was quite a different challenge, but again, he wasn't one to lose easily'_, he thought with a grin.

* * *

Echo was left pouting as Tony and Clint poked fun at her, first for losing the match and then at falling (literally and figuratively) head-over-heels for Loki.

She shushed them, and continued her workout as best she could, but she couldn't help but smile at what had just happened. Grinning to herself, she thought about how she would get payback for that embarrassing (although very flirtatious) prank.

* * *

**SO! What do ya think of that one? I hope it's not getting boring! :/ Was it ok, was it bad – leave a review, so I'll know what to improve and what's good! :D Expect an update on Saturday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey there, I'm back with another update! So, the usual (but no less grateful) thanks to my fabulous reviewers: Loki'sdreamer, Aqualover5711, iamdelilah, and avenge-loki! Your messages always make me smile, and definitely motivate me to keep writing!**

**Thanks to my followers and those who have favorited my story too! I'm honored that you would think my baby is good enough for that! :D**

**Now, without further ado, the next chapter! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The news of Loki's prank traveled quickly, due to Tony's and Clint's loose mouths, and poor Echo could barely look at the others, blushing at their knowing smiles and naughty smirks.

They hadn't had any bad news in the past two weeks, so they decided to have a day in and mess around. After much deliberation, they resorted to playing games like children - such as hide-and-seek.

Loki was proud to say he won many times due to his invisibility power...although Natasha came very close to finding him a couple times, due to her trained supersonic hearing.

It was actually rather terrifying, for though he was invisible and hidden in the corners, she crept around somehow knowing that he was there. Teleporting would have given away his position, so he had had to walk ever so slowly towards the door. Once one foot was out, he then sprinted away as if his life depended on it. Which he sincerely felt it did.

After the first game taking so long, they agreed that they would allow the 'seeker' to ask JARVIS which floors were being used as hiding places. The games still took a while, but much faster than the first one.

After a while, they decided to play Monopoly. Tony, to everyone's surprise, failed miserably, while Loki and Steve had a knack for it. Loki found it incredibly interesting...until Thor made it impossible for anyone to win because he bought one property of each color.

"Why would they make the board different colors if we were not supposed to buy one of each? See sense brother!" It had taken most of his willpower not to throttle Thor right then and there.

It proved too difficult of a game to explain to his buffoon of a brother, so they quickly chose another not as challenging, game. "Hey guys! Look what I was able to find! Let's play this!"

"...Wii sports resort? Really Stark?" Loki looked at Steve's exasperated face, then back at the disc around Tony's finger. Confused, he could tell that his brother was just as puzzled...but then again, he was with most things.

Shrugging, he said, "Let us play this... 'sports resort.' What harm can come of it?" Loki realized he had said the wrong thing, for while Tony's face lit up at his support, the others turned to glare at him.

As it turned out, they all had a blast playing this curious game. Apparently, with these 'We remotes', he could control a character on the TV screen. As they got more into the game, it became clear that each person had particular luck with certain sports. There were definitely some moments that they would remember for a long time.

The most obnoxious one was without a doubt Clint, for after a few rounds of archery, he burst out with, "I'm whupping your aaaasses, dudes!"

"Let's not get cocky now darling," Natasha's voice purred before she proceeded to fire three perfect shots in a row. Clint's shocked expression was more than he could handle, and Loki burst out with laughter along with the others.

Thor's specialty was revealed when they chose swordplay. "FEAR MY MIGHTY SWORD! I WILL KNOCK ALL OF YOU OFF MY PEDESTAL OF VICTORY!" Silence followed, as no-one could hear properly for several minutes after that deafening shout.

Four hours later, everyone was exhausted, and they took a much needed lunch break. Ordering tons of pizza – _literally tons –_ they dug in, because Loki, Thor and Steve were not the only ones who have an unending appetite after all that play.

There was not much chatter as they eagerly gorged on the pizza, cheesy breadsticks, and BBQ chicken wings. Usually one to stay away from that type of unhealthy food, Loki found himself fighting Steve for the last of the Hawaiian Bacon pizza slices.

In the end, Natasha stole it as they played Roshambo to see who would get it. '_And I had won too!' _he thought, as Natasha made a scene of eating the slice.

It was starting to get dark when suddenly Tony piped up with, "All right, these kiddie games are over! One sec!" As he walked away, he called over his shoulder, "Oh, make teams of four, and stand on each side of the table."

Clint groaned, but didn't say anything to reveal Tony's plan. "Don't bring any really hard stuff!" is the only thing he shouted after Tony. This caused a light bulb to go off in Loki's head, but he hoped it was wrong.

However, his suspicions came true when Tony returned with a pack of red plastic cups, and two six-packs of beer. As everyone groaned, Tony smoothly said, "So, we'll be starting with a game called 'Flip Cup', to loosen everyone up first. We'll split into two teams of four, and each of us will have a cup filled one third of the way with beer. One person from each team starts chugging their beer, and when it's empty, they have to flip the cup onto the table upside down, using one hand only. The team that finishes first wins. Pretty straight-forward, right guys?"

The others rolled their eyes at his excitement, but agreed to play the game. Although Loki was still wary, as he didn't want to get drunk too quickly and make a fool of himself, he consented as well.

Thor, Bruce, Clint, and Echo stood on one side of the table, while Tony, Loki, Natasha, and Steve stood on the other, each with a cup filled a third of the way with beer in front of them.

"All right – ready, set...go!" Thor and Tony picked up their cups and began chugging the drink, starting the game.

They ended up playing four games of 'Flip Cup', but Loki was unaffected of yet – he _did_ grow up in Asgard, even if he wasn't of direct lineage to them. He laughed at the others as the effects of the chugged beer began to take hold.

Clint was, surprisingly, the most affected, and was clearly concentrating hard on standing upright to not lean his entire weight on the table. Bruce, not much of a drinker, was already tipsy from those drinks, and Tony was somehow cruder than he usually was, telling jokes that had Thor booming with laughter.

Then, in the middle of a joke, Tony suddenly remembered that that was just a warm-up, and told everyone to sit around the table again. Placing a cup in the middle of the table upside-down, he then arranged the cards face-down around it in a circle.

Taking his place between Loki and Thor, he explained the game: "You pick a card and depending on what card you choose, you have to do a certain thing. 2 – You give a drink to anyone. 3 – You drink. 4 – Everyone has to touch the floor; the last to touch it has to drink. 5 – Guys drink. 6 – Girls drink. 7 – Touch the heavens; last one to point up has to drink. 8 – You and someone of your choosing drink. 9 – Last Slap; person who drew card can place card on table at anytime, and the last person to slap the table after drinks. 10 – Categories; person who can't come up with a topic drinks. Jack – Social, everyone drinks. Queen – Never Have I; first person to lose all fingers drinks. King – Thumbmaster. Ace – Waterfall; everyone has to keep drinking until the person before them stops. Got it? All right, Echo! You go first!"

She looked shocked and somewhat confused, causing Loki to chuckle softly, then asked in annoyance, "Why?"

"You're right in front of me, just go." She sighed in mock exasperation, causing Loki to grin, then went to pick up a card.

"Oh! One more thing!" Echo froze, glaring at Tony. "You stack the card on the cup, and the one who knocks the cards down has to chug a beer." Echo looked at him, as if to say, 'anything else', but he waved her on, saying "Go on."

She took a card, and flipped it over to show a '2.' Looking at everyone, a naughty grin formed on her face.

Loki hoped she won't pick him, and breathed a sigh of relief when she pointed at Bruce. The latter sighed, then took a drink of his beer before setting it back down and nodding at Natasha to go on. She picked a Jack, everyone groaned and took a swig from their cups, then it was his turn.

Loki reached over and randomly selected a card. Flipping it over, he groaned as he had chosen a 3. He placed it carefully on the cup in the middle, then took a drink of his beer, only slightly affected by it at that point.

Tony went next, choosing an 8, pointing at Bruce with a wink, then took a gulp of beer as Bruce tentatively drunk some of his own. Thor, who had had a huge grin on his face that entire time, apparently amused by this Midgardian game, chose a Queen. But then he knocked over the cards in the middle since he's such a barbarian, causing Loki to roll his eyes at his antics.

He took a large drink, and holding out his hand, bellowed, "I have never..." Clint pretended to snore, and Thor said with an uncharacteristically wicked gleam in his eyes, "used a bow or arrow." Everyone laughed and Clint pouted slightly as he held up four fingers.

"I have never practiced a musical instrument." Loki groaned as he had to put a finger away, as did Tony surprisingly. _'I will have to ask him about that later,'_ Loki thought, before turning his attention back to the game.

"...never used this Midgardian contraption called a cell phone." Everyone other than Loki and Echo had to put their fingers in, a collective sigh going around the table.

"Caveman," he heard Tony grumble from beside him, and grinned when Thor said, "I have never flown in a metal suit."

"Aw, come on! I was just kidding, you big lug!" Tony exclaimed as Loki and the others laughed, but he wisely became silent as Thor thought of another remark.

"I have never...'surfed the Web', as you say." Loki saw with glee that Tony only had one more finger left out, looking at it sullenly, and hoped that Thor would say another thing pertaining to technology.

"I have never drunk so much as to fall asleep." Tony's finger went away, as did one of Clint's, so Loki didn't feel too bad when he pulled his own finger in.

"Damn!" Tony grabbed his cup and took a big gulp, then pointed to Bruce to continue with the game.

Clint drew a 4, and everyone quickly pointed to the floor...except poor Steve, who had forgotten what the card 4 did. However, he was still unaffected by the alcohol, as Loki looked at him with jealousy as he took a large drink and smacked his lips.

Steve took a 7, everyone reached up, while Clint was very slow to respond and had another drink. Natasha drew a King, grinning evilly as Loki strained to remember what that card did.

Suddenly she put her thumb down on the table, and he grunted in annoyance when he was the last. But, not getting upset, he raised his drink in a mock toast to the others and took a large swig.

He was definitely starting to feel the effects of the beer now, and the next few rounds go right past him. Especially after Natasha had pulled an ace, effectively giving all of them – _except Thor and Steve, the lucky bastards_ – a higher buzz than before.

Loki was looking over at the others drowsily, laughing at how different each person was acting under the influence of the drink.

Tony and Thor were laughing uproariously at something that Bruce had said, completely out of character and definitely the drunkest of them all.

Clint was professing his undying love to Natasha, who just laughed at him, telling him to shut up, a – '_is that a blush on her cheeks, or just the effects of the beer?'_

Loki laughed with Steve at Natasha's embarrassment, then suddenly Natasha poked him hard in the side, and motioned that it was his turn as she drinks after pulling a 3.

He pulled a 9, showing it to the others – Clint took one look at the card then slapped his hand on the table, causing the others to crack up. After realizing what he did, he took a drink somewhat grudgingly, blinking hard in an attempt to get out of the stupor.

Loki took advantage of the distraction and slapped the card on the table, surprising the others as they reacted later than they would have. As it was, Echo was the last to react, who just laughed with the others, taking a large drink of her beer.

Tony wiped his eyes after laughing so much, then extended a shaky hand and chose a card. Flipping it over, he grinned as he saw it was another Ace. He passed two beers to everyone, who filled their cups to the brimming point.

Picking up his cup, he raised it to the others as if toasting them, then began drinking. Loki raised his cup to his lips, and rather than fully chug the beer, he paced himself as he drinks, keeping his eye on Tony.

It seemed as if Tony would never stop, but then he took a last large gulp, then placed his cup on the table.

Loki looked over at Thor, and groaned inwardly at the smirk that was on his face – everyone knew Thor was the heaviest drinker of them all, and to have him at the beginning of the Waterfall...did not bode well for him and the others.

Thor ended up drinking his whole cup, and slammed it on the table in front of him, effectively crushing the red plastic cup.

This caused Bruce to start choking from shock, but he tried to continue drinking with a brave face. However, after a few more sips, he shook his head and put his cup down.

Clint seemed to realize that the drinkers were now waiting on him to stop, and looked straight at Echo, trying to mess her up. She almost started to laugh, but caught herself and stared him down with an arched eyebrow.

Loki nearly choked on his beer at Clint's panicked expression, but breathed deeply through his nose and continued to drink his beer.

Apparently the stare is too similar to Natasha's or something, but Clint choked and had to stop drinking to catch his breath.

Loki watched with amusement as Echo turned her eyes, tinged with a mischievous gleam, onto him, Natasha and Steve. Winking at them, causing a strange thrill to go through Loki's body, she started chugging the rest of her beer.

Loki's eyebrows rose at her, but she just held his gaze as she steadily downed her drink until she swallowed one last time and slammed her cup onto the table, similar to Thor.

Thor bellowed out a cheer and Tony laughed loudly at her performance, while Clint just rolled his eyes, pouting to have been bested by a girl.

Steve took a few more large gulps, then placed his cup delicately on the table – Natasha then looked at Loki, challenging him to make her mess up.

Finding bravery from who knows where –_or perhaps it was the beer_- Loki kept drinking but suddenly reached out and poked Natasha in the side. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she choked on her drink.

Loki rejoiced inside, and finished off his drink in three large gulps, causing his head to spin slightly, but he was able to orient himself well enough to slam his cup onto the table as well.

Thor, Tony, Echo and Steve laughed wildly at that, cheering at his victory, and Loki felt his face heat up as the large cup of beer he had just chugged took its hold on him.

Bruce's head suddenly slipped from where it had been resting in his hand, and he jerked awake as his forehead banged on the table. Clint jerked out of his stupor, and slipped out of his chair with a crash.

The bang brought them back to reality, and marked the end of the game as Natasha shakily walked to the other side of the table to Clint. She bent down, looping her arm underneath his, and said good night to the others as she dragged him away to his room.

Thor clapped Tony on the back, causing him to cough harshly; "Very humorous game Man of Iron! We must partake in it again!"

"Yeah, not anytime soon big guy," Tony said, stumbling to his feet.

Loki watched with tired eyes as Tony moved along the table - and along Thor's shoulders, who waited patiently - to a sleeping Bruce. Helping him to his feet, they leaned against each other, Tony saluting the others as they left.

As they shuffled to the elevator, Steve got up and began cleaning up the numerous beer bottles they had gone through.

Loki struggled to his feet, meaning to help him out, but knocked over a few bottles in his attempt. Steve laughed, and Thor chuckled as he patted Loki on the shoulder. "Do not worry, brother! Get your rest!"

"We'll take care of this Loki. I'm glad I can't get drunk. I can only imagine how you'll feel tomorrow!" Steve laughed, but Loki just rolled his eyes and straightened up with as much dignity as he could.

As he did, he noticed Echo was still sitting at the table, looking at them with her chin in her hand. A small smile graced her lips, her eyes rather bright and glazed over, as they look back and forth between Steve, Loki and Thor.

Steve glanced at Loki, and said with a small smile, "Go on and get her to her room. I don't think she can make it there on her own."

Loki laughed, then walked unsteadily toward Echo, deciding to have some fun. She blinked up at him sleepily as he said, "Come on, madam," holding his hand out as if he were a chauffeur.

She grinned, reaching out for his hand but stumbled as she stood; almost falling to her knees, Loki caught her arm and pulled her up.

Loki's face heated up with a blush when she giggled, "Forgive me, my good Sir," playing along with his game, while leaning her forehead on his chest to steady herself. She stepped away and wrapped one arm around his waist, so he could lead her toward the elevator.

As they stood inside the elevator, Loki with his arm around Echo's shoulders since she hadn't released his waist yet, he suddenly Loki felt Echo move beside him. Looking down, he saw her look at him with an incredibly naughty grin that made a warning bell ring in his head.

It looked _very_ familiar, but before he could remember when he had seen her smile like that, she drawled out with, "So, Loki..." She turned to face him, her left arm around his waist moving so her hand was now on his shoulder; "has anyone ever told you–" She lifted her other hand and poked him in the chest, "–that you are _incredibly sexy_?"

'_WHAT?!_' Loki definitely wasn't expecting _that_, and began to splutter in embarrassment as his face heated up.

He tried to back away from her, but she just stepped with him, keeping them close. "Nobody told you? Tsk, shameful." She shook her head in mock disappointment, the grin ever present on her face as she looked up at him.

Tracing his jaw, her eyes following her finger, she said in a sultry voice that sent chills through his body, "Strong jaw and features that look like they are carved from marble."

Her finger continued its journey, ghosting over his Adam's apple as he swallowed, trying to keep his breathing steady; "Deep, sexy voice that makes me melt every time you speak."

Although he was keeping his eyes on her, mesmerized by her speech, a smug grin made its way onto his face as he logged that bit of information away for future reference.

She glanced up at the small chuckle he made, and their eyes locked, neither able to look away. Echo's finger made its way back up to Loki's face slowly, and Loki shivered from her touch.

With the hand that had been on his shoulder that whole time, she gripped his shirt and pulled him down slightly while going on her tiptoes. Outlining his lips now with her finger, she whispered, "And those lips...just begging to be kissed."

Her warm breath like a sigh on his skin, Loki could hardly stop himself from grabbing Echo and kissing her right then and there. However, he kept the mood, enjoying himself _immensely_, and allowed her to pull him a little lower so their lips were almost touching, their breath mixing in the small space between them.

She touched her nose to his, making him close his eyes and he leaned nearer, closing the distance between them, just as the elevator dinged.

Suddenly her touch disappeared, and he opened his eyes to see her prance out. He was utterly confused, until she turned back to him with that damned grin back on her face.

With a jolt he remembered when she had smiled that. '_That day in the gym!'_

With a low growl, he gave chase, smirking at Echo. Giggling, she ran to her bedroom, trying to beat him there.

She had her hand on the doorknob, but Loki sprinted the last few feet and grabbed her other hand to turn her around. She leaned against the door, somewhat out of breath due to all the beer they had drunk. Loki took in her bright eyes, parted lips, and desperately wanted to kiss her until she was gasping for breath.

But he didn't want to move too fast with this, and certainly didn't want her to regret kissing him while she was drunk, so he willed himself to calm down. Then she reached up with one hand, cupping Loki's face, and an idea crossed his mind.

Reaching up and taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and placed a small kiss on her knuckles. She blushed deeply while Loki smiled, saying, "Good night my dear. May you sleep well."

Walking to his room, he turned around and saw that she was still watching him. When he caught her though, she giggled and quickly escaped inside her room.

Somehow making it to his own room, he collapsed on the bed, his head still reeling from the drinks and the scene from the elevator.

With a large smile still on his face and Echo on his mind, Loki fell into a deep, drunken slumber.

* * *

**So whadaya think? :P Personally, I had fun writing this one – I would've loved to play a drinking game with the Avengers and Loki (although beer isn't my favorite), so when this idea came to mind, I just went with it, ehehehe. Well, let me know what you think – (I feel like it was it bit too long, but maybe it's just me) - and I'll update on Wednesday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okey-dokey, I'm back with another update, as promised! Firstly, thanks to – iamdelilah and Loki'sdreamer – for reviewing!**

**I hope this is to everyone's satisfaction – enjoy! :)**

* * *

Two days later, Loki had an idea of where he wanted to go out with Echo. Fighting down – '_what was that Midgardian phrase'_ – 'butterflies', Loki hoped that all would go well.

There was a little coffee shop that had a stage in the corner, on which people could sing karaoke, tell jokes, or play music, etc. All in all, a nice little spot to hang out and talk in peace, while listening to some form of entertainment.

Clint and Tony had both brought Natasha and Bruce respectively there, so they dubbed it the 'first date hot spot', since they were still with the people they had taken and going strong. Although he _was _a Norse God...Loki felt he could take all the good luck he could get.

He spent a good 20 minutes lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he fought internally with himself to just _get up_ and get it over with. Finally, he gave up and with a groan, hauled himself out of bed to the bathroom.

Taking care of the necessities, he didn't bother to get dressed other than pulling on a dark green t-shirt. He certainly wasn't going to have breakfast with only his pajama pants on, but if his plan failed, then he would only have to take the shirt off to crawl back into bed.

Mentally slapping himself, he snapped out of the depressing pit he was sinking into. _'What is _wrong_ with you?! Pull yourself together man!'_

Clearing his throat, he managed to compose himself enough to open the door and walk over to the kitchen. The others were already sitting there, and as he entered, Echo looked up and gave him a small smile.

Finding himself start to grin back, he quickly went to the counter and made some simple toast with butter, and tea. He didn't trust himself to keep down anything heavier at this point, and hoped the terrible feeling in his stomach went away soon.

He sat down at the table, next to Echo – a glance at the others confirmed that this was yet again their handiwork. With a resigned sigh, he picked up his bread and munched it pitifully.

Fighting nerves, he managed to make it through breakfast relatively unscathed, although Echo _didn't – exactly – help_. For example, nudging his fingers when she reached for something – '_There she goes again! Good grief woman!'_

He just _knew_ she was doing it on purpose, but he couldn't quite catch her eye to make sure. Probably another part of her elaborate plan to drive him insane.

Ever since that drinking game and what had followed, Echo had been insufferable, taunting him with winks and gestures. However, he had had his share of teasing glances and touches as well as revenge, so they were about even.

_True_, that first day after the game was spent moaning and crawling around the living room with the others due to the massive headaches they all had. Well, other than Thor and Steve, who went out of their way to be nuisances – very loud and _extremely irritating_ nuisances – that entire day.

"_MAN OF IRON, WHY ARE YOU WALKING AROUND WITH THOSE DARK SPECTACLES IN THE BUILDING?! SURELY IT ISN'T THAT BRIGHT IN HERE?"_

"_Thor, I'm sure everyone would be _extremely_ grateful if you would quiet down a bit for today. Just not talking at all would be best, if you can manage that. Oh, and JARVIS? Dim the lights." Tony's voice was barely above a whisper, but he was able to be heard anyways._

"_Very good sir!"_

"_Oh for fuck's sake, who the hell put the volume up for JARVIS?!"_

_Only Loki saw the mischievous grin on Steve's face, and wondered briefly on how that technologically challenged man had managed to do that._

"_So, who wants eggs for breakfast? Anyone?" As everyone looked incredulously at Steve, he leant down to get some pans out of the cupboards. While taking them out, the ruckus he made could've woken up his father from Odinsleep._

"_Aw, Steve, don't be evil!" Clint whined, draping his arm over his eyes as he lounged on the sofa. Natasha was in a similar position, hands clasped across her eyes, her legs extended in front of her as she sat on the other side of the couch._

_Glaring over her fingers, she hissed, "Steve, what's gotten into you?"_

"_I'm sorry, what was that?!" He shouted, clanging the pans a bit more, causing the others to moan and groan at their throbbing heads._

_Clutching his head, Loki quickly sat on the floor, before he could fall over from the dizziness and make a fool of himself._

_Although he was incredibly hung-over, he did find amusement from watching Bruce walk unsteadily to the love seat before plopping himself down. Then – he would've laughed, but the movement would've worsened his headache – he watched as Tony quite literally _crawled_ over and sat with his back against Bruce's legs, those ridiculous sunglasses over his eyes._

_Suddenly he became aware of a presence behind him, and then a soft but strong voice said, "Steve, what's with all the noise? I would've expected something like this from Tony or Loki, but not you."_

_A small hand ruffled his hair slightly, surprising him, before resting on his shoulder to steady the body it was attached to. Loki looked up slowly to see Echo standing there, her other hand on her hip, looking crossly at Steve._

_She glanced down at him for a second, and he could've sworn that, behind the tired haze in her eyes, he saw something deeper and stronger. But then she smiled at him, squeezing his shoulder slightly, then blinked and looked back at Steve._

_Steve had the audacity to look ashamed for a moment, but he was soon back at play, getting Thor to join in as well._

_Needless to say, Loki and the other drunkards were relieved when night fell and they were able to sooth their pounding heads on their pillows again._

But they recovered quickly, and all went back to normal...which brought them to that day when Loki was gathering his courage to ask Echo on a date.

When they all got up to do their duties and work around the Tower, Loki gathered breath, following Echo out; "Echo!"

In his rush to catch her, he almost ran into her as she turned around, and grinning sheepishly, he asked her, "Eh, are you doing anything terribly important today?"

A small smile played on her lips, and she answered coyly, "No, why?"

In his panic and excitement, he began to stutter, spewing rapidly, "Well, I was wondering if you'd like to maybe go to this little shop for a cup of coffee with me, but if not then that's fine, Icangobymyself–" Then before he made a further fool of himself, he heard it.

"Yes." He froze, and looked at her with grateful eyes as she continued, saying, "I'd love to go get coffee with you."

Barely restraining himself from leaping for joy, he said, "I'll be right down! But _you_, take your time, there's no rush!"

He rushed off to his room, slipping on black jeans, a simple blue dress shirt, his black leather jacket, and brown dress shoes. Sitting on his bed for a moment, he took a deep breath before leaving his room to see Echo already there and waiting in the living room.

She was dressed in a white collared shirt, with a grey jacket zipped up over it, black leggings, and brown boots that went halfway up her shins. To him she looked stunning.

They let the others know quickly that they were leaving together, blissfully ignoring the smirks and grins that followed that statement. The walk over was relatively smooth, Loki having calmed down a bit, and he managed to keep himself in check while in public.

They reached the café quickly and ordered their drinks, for which Loki paid for like any good gentleman. They chose to sit down by a window, not wanting to sit in the middle of the café where Loki was bound to get attention, chatting idly about whatever came to mind.

As Echo sipped at her coffee, he asked, "How are you doing?" At her laugh, he smirked then elaborated, "I meant, how is it living in the Tower? Are you accustomed to our lifestyle yet? It took me a few months to get used to – it was a little overwhelming, to say the least."

She smiled at him, saying, "Yes, I'm doing rather well. You and the others have been extremely supportive, and that's more than I could've asked for." The sincerity of her words shown in her eyes, and Loki couldn't help but be mesmerized by them. "I can't put into words how grateful I am for what you guys have done, especially the training to help me control my power better."

At the word 'training', Loki smiled and looked away sheepishly as Echo bit her lip in remembrance of that day in the gym. Composing herself, she continued, "I'm so glad that I got a second chance. But, I– I don't deserve all this – my episodes left so many in ruins. There's just too much bad in my past to erase."

Her smile left her face and she looked out the window sadly; Loki took in her hopeless face as she looked off into the distance, remembering the terrible things that she woke up to after her episodes.

Putting his hand over hers, Loki said softly but firmly, "It – wasn't – _your_ – _fault_." Her surprised eyes met his at his determined voice. "You were led astray during your childhood, and nobody even attempted to help you control your power. You are_ not_ a killer, Echo. It was _not_ your fault."

She gripped his hand back softly; "Thank you, Loki, for that. And for listening as well. Nobody's ever tried as hard as you and the others before." With a devilish smile, she added, "Even though you had a rough time too, you've turned to be quite the gentleman and hero too."

He chuckled softly, even though those words, especially coming from her, hit him harder then he would have thought. He had needed to hear those words for so long, he was almost overwhelmed by the affect they had on him.

Looking into her warm chocolate eyes, hardly noticing anything else, he found himself leaning towards her. She leaned in too, but with an inch of space left between their lips, both their phones rang simultaneously.

Annoyed, Loki answered his phone, the message having been from Tony, looking at Echo as she sighed sadly, looking into her lap. _'Damn that Tony! It had better be good.'_

"Hey, sorry to break up the make-out session, but we're needed. A group of thugs have set an apartment building on fire, and they're currently holding the residents hostage in an alley. They're armed to the teeth, and the police can't do anything because of the hostages in the line of fire."

"The rest of the team is already going there, so just meet us there." Tony gave Loki the directions, then hung up.

Meeting Echo's eyes, he said briefly, "There's trouble."

Her eyes hardened, and as they leave the café, Loki filled her in on the situation at the apartment building.

As he finished telling her the information, he looked around and spotted an alleyway ahead of them. They ducked into it, so he could teleport them to the location.

They were facing each other, and, spurred on by some unknown force, Echo grabbed the front of Loki's coat. Gently pulling the confused man down, while standing on her tiptoes, she placed a light kiss on his cheek.

To his stunned and reddening face, she said simply, "Thanks for the coffee." Grinning mischievously, she continued, "Now, let's _go_," grabbing onto his arms tightly. He calmed down, his mind reeling in wonder, and somehow teleported them to the correct area.

Once they arrived there, they saw that a few hostages were still tied up but that the rest of the area was clear. Well, clear of civilians, for in the distance, the other Avengers and the gang were fighting against each other.

Loki conjured them some more suitable clothes, smirking at Echo's surprised face, before summoning Gungnir. Closing his fist around his old weapon, he grinned excitedly, ready for combat.

Fire appeared on Echo's hands as she prepared for the fight as well. She noticed that they were her old gang, and she was more than ready to deliver her revenge.

With a yell, she ran forward, and Loki couldn't help but laugh as the similar rush of adrenaline filled his body, propelling him towards the fight alongside her.

Easily blasting away three men with one shot, Loki strode into the battlefield, punching and stabbing left and right. Spinning, he fired off more blasts, grinning evilly as he watched more men fly off from the explosions.

He soon found himself fighting back to back with Iron Man. It still caught him off guard to be fighting _with_ the Avengers instead of against, although it had been two years already. Catching a man on the forehead with his spear, he glanced over his shoulder and shouted, "Tony, on your left!"

Loki ducked as Iron Man whipped around, firing at the ruffian who had tried to sneak up on him. As he fell away, Loki heard Iron Man say, "Thanks for the heads up, Reindeer Games." Before Loki could respond, he quickly flew away to a more crowded area to help out.

"You insufferable little – I swear, Stark, you will pay for that," he growled out, knowing that Tony could hear him over the earpieces they all wore.

"Um, I think I've already paid plenty...when you threw me out my window!"

Scoffing, simultaneously punching a man in the face and then kicking him away, he rolled his eyes. "Will you never get over that?"

"How could I get over something like that?! You _threw_ me out of my _window_!"

"Boys, boys, let's not behave like children. You can discuss this later – for now, let's kick these guys' asses."

Loki grinned at Echo's comment, her clear voice cutting through the argument before it escalated too far. He eagerly rejoined the fight, helping his teammates when they were close by, and fighting solo otherwise.

Captain America's shield whizzed by his head, and then he heard a groan of pain from behind him. He looked back, shocked, and saw a man with a nasty bruise on his head crumple to the ground.

Footsteps ran toward him, and he glanced back to see Steve approaching him. "I got your back," he said simply, clapping Loki on the back before going to retrieve his shield. Grinning back at him, Loki nodded his thanks and resumed fighting.

It didn't take long to succeed in beating the gang, and soon the rest of the hostages were free.

Some of the gang members were able to escape, but according to Echo, they had managed to capture the leader. With the gang basically incapacitated due to the loss of their leader, the regular police should be able to look for the rest on their own.

As the police picked up the leader, he looked over at the Avengers and Echo standing along the sides, and recognition dawned across his face as he saw his old weapon.

Sneering, he shouted, "Look at you, quickly joining the strongest team to try and protect yourself from us! You'll never be a part of a team like that! They'll just kick you out like you were out of my gang!" He spat in her direction, making Loki step forward threateningly.

"You'll see. Soon you won't be able to control your emotions and have another episode, I guarantee it." The vilest expression Loki had ever seen passed over the man's face, as he said, "We'll be there, I promise, waiting for you once you're alone and vulnerable. You'll get yours for this, traitor!"

Echo flinched visibly at his words, but her face doesn't change except get a bit cooler, her brows furrowing as she stood straighter. Breathing deeply to keep her fear and anger at bay, she said nothing as she watched her old warden locked away.

The police quickly put him in a police car, and he was no longer heard once they slam the door shut.

Loki and the others looked at Echo quickly, and before she could put up a smile, he saw that she was angry and scared, clearly affected by the harsh words.

He walked up to her, and asked, "Echo, are you all right?"

She just looked up at him sadly. "It's nothing. He can't do anything to me anymore," she said softly, watching the police car drive away.

"We won't let anything happen to you, don't worry," Steve put in, and Echo exhaled shakily before nodding at him slightly.

"Let's just go home. It's over." With that, she walked away, and nothing the others or Loki said could make her speak her mind.

Eventually they left her alone, and with their job done, they climbed into the van that SHIELD gave them, and drove back to the Tower.

**So, the outfit Loki was wearing is a mixture of these two pics – in case you wanted to really picture it. ;D**

** . / ce23db9aeaf1d6f08b63ace7f922 909c/ tumblr _ mgvsaakan21s24jb7o1_ **

** . / **

**Again, just let me know how I'm doing! I'm sorry if it's getting boring – there weren't as many reviews last time, so I'm a bit worried that it's becoming old. :/ Anyways, for those of you still interested, I'll be updating on Sunday! Take care everyone! :D**

**-Ana :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everybody, I'm back! =D You don't know how happy I was when I got all those reviews again! Big thanks to - Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, and Aqualover5711 – for their wonderful messages! All right, as promised, here's the update! :)**

* * *

Though the others noticed that Echo was a little off, they decided not to push it, giving her the space they felt she needed. Loki didn't want to get her more upset, so he kept his distance as well.

What he _did_ do was help the others interrogate the gang leader, whose name was revealed to be Emmanuel Muñez. "So Mr. Muñez, are you going to tell us where the rest of your gang is?" Loki's voice was cool and soft, and he smirked as he saw the man tremble at the sound.

"Why would I betray my gang? I'm not as soft as that traitorous bitch you took in," he sneered.

Loki's eyes narrowed, and he stalked forward with a growl. Lifting the man out of his seat with one hand, he slammed him against the wall. "You would do well not to speak of my teammate in that manner again."

"What will you do? She's a worthless piece of shit – if that serum hadn't been created to control her, I would've had her killed immediately."

A surge of anger went through his body and Loki threw the man into the corner of the room. He was ready to make him pay for his words, but then the door slammed open and Steve entered quickly.

"Loki!" He spun around, eyes flashing with rage, but then froze at Steve's expression. "We're all upset, but attacking him like this won't help."

The firm words got through to Loki, and he stood up straight again with a deep breath. "You're right. I apologize." Taking one last look at the despicable man in the corner, he walked past Steve to let him question the prisoner next.

* * *

Echo knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Seeing the monster of her past again did no good for her. She could _feel_ the nightmares coming on, the memories of evil deeds she'd been forced to carry out creeping into the front of her mind.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Steve's concerned voice cut through her thoughts.

Blinking, she was brought back to the present as Steve placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Looking up at him, she smiled sadly and said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, you just enjoy yourself."

She looked over at the young man who had come earlier to pick up Steve. With wavy brown hair, long eyelashes, full pink lips, and a great smile, she could see what Steve saw in him, and she enjoyed teasing him about it. James Barnes, although he immediately insisted she call him Bucky, loved messing with Steve too, and they hit it off right away. He seemed like a nice guy, and the both of them were so obviously in love, Echo didn't want to ruin the evening for them.

She pushed Steve toward Bucky – well, rather nudged him, since he was such a big guy – saying again, "Go on. Your handsome date is waiting. I'm sure he has a wonderful night planned for you two." She winked at Bucky, giggling at Steve's blushing face.

Finally, they left, and after dinner Clint and Natasha also went out to go see a movie and later watch dinner. "Yeah, I have the perfect movie for us! There's blood, swearing, witch-hunting – not to mention the main guy is pretty good-looking – you'll love it Nat!"

After they left, Echo excused herself politely, brushing off their concerns, and retired to bed much earlier than usual. Loki sat at the table for a while longer, finally going to his room after his noisy brother came back up from the gym, shouting out that he was going to bed. "Thank you Thor. I was _so_ wondering what you were doing next."

Thor just smiled at him and walked away, clearly not understanding the sarcasm, and Loki got up from the table with a groan. Stretching, he made his way down the hallway to his room, pausing slightly at Echo's door.

He was still worried about her, but she had avoided all conversation about what had happened earlier. Finally, he sighed and walked to his room.

He couldn't sleep right away, and decided to read a book that Bruce had lent him. It turned out to be a delightful mystery, the detective Holmes a rather intelligent and brilliant man, but by the time he was finished, Loki was barely able to stay awake, falling asleep the minute his head hit the pillow.

Echo, on the other hand, was deep asleep, twisting and turning in her sheets as she was plagued with a familiar nightmare.

_She was in that square yet again, looking at the crowd of people walking past and around her. Filled with a deep hatred for all these rich high-class people, who gave less of a shit for her and her gang, she glared at them from the shadows._

_They were always sneering at them when she or her gang was spotted, never kind enough to give them a coin to help._

_The anger grew until it filled her whole body, and with a yell she shot out torrents of flames from her hands. She burnt the buildings around her, fire catching the clothes of the now screaming people, but she didn't care about anything._

_But suddenly the nightmare was different; out of the screaming crowd came her new teammates, the Avengers._

_With a shock, she tried to stop the flames, but she was unable to control herself. With wide horrified eyes, she watched as the fireballs went spinning toward her new smiling friends._

* * *

Tony and Bruce were deep in conversation, discussing what they should do to fix their new contraption, so it took them a few minutes to notice JARVIS was speaking to them.

"Sir, the system shows that there is a small fire on the main top floor, within the room of Miss Echo."

"Shit!" Tony and Bruce leapt up, and ran for the elevator. Pushing the button desperately, Tony told JARVIS, "Tell the others and unlock Echo's door! And hurry up with the elevator!"

* * *

Loki was awakened rudely by JARVIS' disembodied voice, and he rubbed his eyes wearily. "What was that?"

"There is a fire in Miss Echo's room, sir." _That_ woke him up with a jolt, and he rushed out of his room clad only in black sweats.

He literally bumped into Thor, he in a white t-shirt and grey sweats, as he sprinted to Echo's room. Thor quickly opened the door and they rushed into her room, only to freeze at the sight that greeted them.

Echo lay on her back, her sheets bunched up at the end of the bed as she had kicked them off throughout her nightmare. She was also on fire; the flames seemed to float above her skin, caressing her curves, hands, legs, almost gently. For some reason though, the sheets weren't catching on fire, but that wasn't important at the moment.

Her face was contorted in agony, her fists clenching and unclenching, her back arching as she was tormented by her nightmare. Suddenly she screamed out "No! No, not them!" making Loki and Thor jump.

Loki began walking to her, removing the spell from his arms so that the natural blue was shown. As he reached her bed, he moved to touch her shoulder to wake her up, his hands cooled by his Frost giant powers to not get burnt by her fire. Just then Tony and Bruce burst into the room, with Tony shouting, "What's going on?"

Echo's eyes burst open, the warm chocolate replaced by darkest black, and she sat up rapidly. The flames from around her body rushed to her hands, and she shot off one fireball before Loki could react, causing the others to jump out of the way.

He grabbed her hand that was still holding the remaining fireball, and the ice from his own hand extinguished the flame. She yelled out, trying to twist out of his grip. He grabbed her other hand, still icy cold, and yelled, "Guys, grab her legs!"

Rapidly, Thor grabbed one leg, while Bruce and Tony grabbed the other, and held it down to the bed. With a mighty twist and arch of her back, she nearly broke their hold and if the situation hadn't been so dangerous, they would have been amazed at her strength.

Loki quickly straddled her thighs, attempting to hold her down as she continued to twist. Still holding her wrists in icy fists, he said firmly, "Echo, Echo wake up. You're ok, wake up. Come on, come back to us."

She kept trying to pull out of his hands though, when an idea came to mind. Leaning down, he whispered, "You're safe Echo. Please, wake up," and he left a small kiss on her forehead.

Suddenly her whole body went limp, but Loki and the others kept their grip on her, in case it was a trick. They waited with bated breath for 2 excruciatingly long minutes, when she suddenly gasped and her eyes opened instantly. Loki breathed with relief to see that they were the same chocolate brown as normal.

She blinked wearily up at him, confusion written clear on her face, and then terror and guilt passed over her face. "Oh my– did I hurt anyone? Please, did anyone get burned, I can't, please–" She was nearly hyperventilating, eyes wide and full of tears threatening to fall.

When she realized she was being held down, she became even more panicked, sure that she'd attacked and hurt someone. Loki quickly cuts in, "I'll let you go, but only if you calm down. No one was hurt, everyone's all right." He could see the relief in her face, but the stress of it all hit her hard, and she started crying.

Loki motioned to the others to let go of her, and after a moment, they do so cautiously. He released her as well, but before he could get off her, she sat upright rapidly. He made to defend himself, but she just wrapped her arms around Loki, sobbing into his chest.

Loki froze, shocked at what was happening, and felt a damned blush spreading across his cheeks. But, listening to her heart-wrenching sobs, he put his arms around her, and held her close, her skin still hot to the touch.

He spoke in a soft voice, attempting to calm her; Bruce climbed on top of the bed with him, sliding a hand through her hair soothingly. Thor crouched beside the bed, placing a gentle hand on her back, looking up at Echo with concern. Loki felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Tony there with a troubled expression as well.

She started babbling suddenly, but since she was talking into Loki's chest, they couldn't hear what she was saying. Bruce asked quietly, "What? Echo, we don't under–"

"It was you guys." They froze at that, listening as she continued: "It was the same nightmare. I was so angry, and I started burning everyone and everything...but then you were there, and I couldn't stop. I wasn't mad anymore, but I couldn't stop, and you guys just kept smiling as if I was doing nothing wrong. Even as you were burning you smiled, and the fire got stronger, and, and, I didn't want to see you hurt, but I couldn't, hic, stop, hic–"

"Shh, it's ok," Loki whispered to her softly, holding her closer. She started crying hard again, and Loki looked to the others for help.

Bruce slid his fingers through her hair softly, and said, "It's ok, everyone has problems with their powers every once in a while, but especially in the beginning. You just didn't get the proper training early on, but I promise that I'll help make up for that."

Tony piped up with, "I had, and _still_ have nightmares sometimes, from my PTSD from Afghanistan mostly. But I've found a way to keep them at bay – I can help you with that too, if you wanted."

Echo was still crying hard, so Loki said gently, "You're safe here, and always will be. We won't abandon you, especially since you need our help. OK?"

"How about we move to the living room?" Bruce suggested softly, brushing Echo's hair out of her face.

"Yeah, we can watch a movie or something, calm everyone down again, all right?" Tony added, concern still thick in his voice. While they were talking, Echo's sobs turned into quiet tears until she was just sniffling softly.

Nodding her head slightly, she took a deep shaky breath, and finally let go of Loki. He found he missed her touch, but didn't say anything about it. "Now, let's get you cleaned up, and then we can relax in front of the TV," Bruce said after a pause.

Loki got up, and Echo looked embarrassedly at him, seeing that his chest was wet from her tears. He just smiled softly and shrugged, as it was no big deal.

Bruce went around and took her hand, and she climbed unsteadily off the bed. He cleaned her face up in the bathroom, talking soothingly to her the whole time, and then led her to the living room where Loki and the others were choosing a movie.

Soon they were all sitting on a couch together: Thor was sitting at the left end, Loki on his right, Echo next to Loki, Tony next to her and Bruce at the other end. Everyone seemed to have relaxed now, especially Echo, who was breathing easier and no longer crying.

Echo felt so grateful to have friends like these now, who were ready to help her through this problem. Never before had anyone cared enough about her to help, and she had always lived in fear of losing control at any moment. She had thought she would be immediately locked up after her episode, but instead they were in the living room and watching a movie of all things, all for her.

She slowly slipped one of her hands into Loki's, and the other into Tony's, which they either didn't notice or simply allowed, and she felt incredibly safe and warm between all of them.

The movie went relatively well, Loki thought, although Thor kept booming out questions about it, causing him and Tony to roll their eyes. But they allow him to keep asking because Echo giggled and then answered him as if to a child each time. Keep her distracted, they thought.

About halfway through the movie, Loki felt a small pressure on his shoulder and looked over to find that Echo had fallen asleep against him. Her face was one of complete peace, with even a small smile playing at her lips, so very different from the one of extreme agony she had during the nightmare.

Her fingers curled instinctively around Loki's and Tony's hands then, and he hoped that it would be enough to keep the nightmares away for at least this night. He also noticed that Bruce had fallen asleep in a similar way on Tony, and that Tony himself was not far from joining them.

Holding back a yawn, he blinked wearily as he realized how sleepy he was as well, all the adrenaline from earlier gone. Then – "Why does that man not have a nose?! Is he envious of the lightning boy's nose, and wants to–" Loki swatted at Thor's shoulder, shushing him while pointing at Echo and Bruce sleeping.

Thor looked at them with a soft expression, and Tony glanced at the two sleeping around him with a small smile. "We'll be ok. _She'll_ be ok, as long as she stays with us. Right?" He whispered.

Loki nodded in agreement, as Thor boomed out "Ay!" enticing another swat from Loki when Echo moved slightly between them. They held their breath, but all she did was curl in closer to Loki. Pressing her face in his shoulder, a contented sigh left her lips as she settled down again.

Tony's infamous smirk crossed his face when he saw the blush that crossed Loki's face. In truth, Loki could care less as he looked at her, then their entwined hands, rubbing her hand with his thumb softly.

Soon, Tony joined the sleeping crew and, tired of trying to stay awake, Loki laid his head back on the couch. Closing his eyes, Thor's booming voice was slowly tuned out as Loki fell asleep too.

* * *

A few hours later, Clint and Natasha exited the elevator, talking about the movie they had just seen. "That was intense! And that ending! I didn't expect that!"

"Shh, you'll wake everyone up! But yes," she consented, at his crestfallen face. "It was a pretty cool movie." He grinned victoriously, smug that his movie choice had gone well.

They don't expect to come across anyone at this time of night, so when they see Steve and Bucky leaning on the doorway to the living room, they stopped talking. Steve has his arms around Bucky's waist, chin on his shoulder, while Bucky had his arms crossed over Steve's hands, and they were both looking at something in the living room.

Hearing their footsteps, Steve and Bucky looked over at them with smiles on their faces. To their confused expressions, Bucky just pointed in, then resumed his position of leaning on Steve.

Clint and Natasha walked quietly next to them, and the sight that greeted them makes them smile widely. Clint chuckled softly, while Natasha put a hand to her mouth, holding back a laugh, her other arm across her chest.

Thor, Loki, Echo, Tony, and Bruce were all sitting on the couch, the TV still on, but the movie was over with the main menu replaying over and over again.

Thor had one elbow on the armrest beside him, his head in his hand, mouth wide open as he snored loudly; Loki's head rested on the cushion behind him, his long legs stretched onto the table in front of him; Echo's legs were curled up beneath her, her cheek pressed against Loki's arm; Tony's chin rested on his chest, snoring ever so slightly, while Bruce's head was on Tony's shoulder; and all were sleeping like babies.

"Like children," Natasha commented, shaking her head at the sight of all these heroes in such a position.

"And look closely at Echo," Steve said quietly, grinning.

Natasha saw it first, and almost laughed out loud, but held it back to not wake the others. "Her hands," she whispered to Clint, and she knew he saw it when a grin spread across his face.

Snuggled up between Tony and Loki, even deep in sleep, her hands were still entwined with theirs, small and soft fingers curled between Tony's rough and calloused ones and Loki's long and slender ones.

Careful not to make too much noise, the four of them made their way across the living room to their bedrooms, and left the others on the couch...but not before taking a picture for sweet torture the next day.

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**Hehe, what'd you think of this one? Sorry if there are some mistakes here – my folks kept bugging me about being on the computer "this late." Haha, they think this is late? I think I was in middle school last time I thought 9:30 was late. ;D**

**I'll be updating on Thursday – expect another silly scene! :P Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, happy Valentine's day! I hope you all enjoyed the day, even if you don't have a special someone yet, like me. Just keep the '**_**yet' **_**in mind, and you'll be fine. ;D  
Thanks to my lovely reviewers – Ellize Avalon, perso rosa, Loki's dreamer, iamdelilah, avenge-loki – your magnificent reviews keep me going! :)**

**All righty, enough rambling. On with the story! :D**

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Loki woke up the next day feeling extremely relaxed, but slightly annoyed. The source of his annoyance was in the manner of being woken up; someone had poked him, and was _still_ insistently poking him on the forehead.

Finally, he opened his eyes with a low groan to see none other than Tony Stark in front of him, grinning like an imbecile. "Good, you're awake! How're you feeling Casanova?"

"Casanova, what–?" He made to stretch but felt a strange pressure on his right arm, and looked down with a start to see Echo pressed against him. Her breathing was soft and even, clearly showing she was deep asleep. Bruce was still asleep as well, although now lying with his head on the armrest beside him.

Loki looked around him, then remembered the night before and realized they had fallen asleep on the couch while watching the movie. Laughing softly, he used his free hand – after noticing gleefully that Echo was still holding his other hand – to wipe his eyes, rubbing the remaining sleep out of them.

Looking at his two sleeping friends, he also remembered that Bruce had been sleeping on Tony, and Echo had been holding Tony's hand too. "How did you get out?"

Tony chuckled, stretching and cracking his back unhealthily, and said, "I just wriggled around a bit, and propped Bruce up against the couch. It wasn't _my _fault that he started sliding down until he was lying on the armrest – at least he didn't wake up."

Looking at Echo with a smile, he shook his head, saying, "The tricky part was taking each of Echo's fingers off my hand. I thought she almost woke up, but she just stretched a bit and," Tony looked back at Loki with a naughty smirk; "cuddled up closer to you."

Loki felt his face get hot, and looked away from Tony toward the kitchen. He saw that Natasha, Steve, Bucky and Thor were up and making breakfast already, talking around the table. Catching a whiff of eggs, he was mortified when his stomach growled loudly.

"Whoa there, don't eat them while I'm gone, all right?" Tony began to walk away, but Loki was stuck, and called rather desperately, "How do I get out?"

"Just push her gently away, like I did with Bruce. It'll be fine." But the mere thought of touching Echo made him grow hot, and Loki stuttered, "I can't do _that_, what if she wakes?" Tony pulled a face that clearly said, _'Really?_'

Putting on a brave face, telling himself he had done things that required far more courage, Loki slowly slid himself to the left. Holding Echo up with his free hand, he steadied her against the back of the couch. He lifted their intertwined hands and carefully removed her fingers from between his, one by one, before putting her hand back on her lap.

She merely sighed deeply, her face completely calm, and Loki quickly padded away, walking to the kitchen with Tony. Upon entering, Natasha and Steve looked at them with terrible grins, causing Tony to cough slightly and Loki to scratch the back of his neck sheepishly.

"So how come we weren't invited to the sleepover?" Steve asked playfully, waving around a piece of paper. His eyes widening, Loki snatched the picture from Steve's hand and looked horrorstruck at the lot of them caught asleep on the couch.

Clearing his throat, Tony said gruffly, "It wasn't planned."

"Ay, there was an accident, and we needed to calm down," Thor boomed out in agreement.

Steve, Bucky and Natasha's smiles left their faces at that, and Natasha asked anxiously, "What accident?" Tony and Loki explained how JARVIS had notified them that there was a fire in Echo's room, and what had happened when they got up there. Worried silence followed.

"She said it was us. It was the same dream, but _we _were in it that time," Thor said, uncharacteristically quiet due to his concern.

Walking over to the coffee machine, Tony put in, "She seemed so scared, and she completely broke down. I think that's why she held our hands; to have physical proof we were safe."

Nodding his head, Loki agreed, saying, "Even while sleeping, she would start trembling and her breathing got quicker, her hands gripping ours tighter in her sleep."

Clint had joined them during the explanation, and when silence resumed, he said seriously, "We can't act any differently around her if we want her to heal."

Tony agreed wholeheartedly. "We will have help her, just like we did with Bruce."

"Like what with Bruce?" Bruce walked in sleepily while stretching, with Echo in tow rubbing her eyes.

Loki can't get enough of Echo; her lithe figure wrapped only in a red tank top and black sweats, pushed low on her hips from moving in her sleep. A bit of tanned skin peeked from under her shirt, and he almost had to physically tear his eyes away from that spot. Moving upward, her brown hair was disheveled from sleep, curls peeking out here and there, her eyes still slightly glazed from sleep. Then she turned those big eyes over to him, and gave him a small beautiful smile, her cheeks slightly red.

She went with Bruce to the oven then, to get some breakfast, and Loki blinked and looked away from her finally.

Tony leaned in on Loki's right side and said quietly, "Hey, quit eye-fucking her." Steve, across the table, choked on his coffee upon hearing the whisper and Bucky had to pat him on the back to calm him down again.

Clint came up on Loki's other side, shaking his head at Steve's reaction, and added, "Yeah, leave that for later. We're at breakfast dude." Loki punched Tony lightly in the arm, rolling his eyes at his crudeness.

Echo caught Tony push him back, into Clint who then swatted at Loki's shoulder, and smiling slightly, said, "Now, now children. Play nicely." Loki smirked, seeing the mischievous gleam in Echo's eyes, while the others laughed at her comment.

When breakfast was over then Natasha, ever the one to get to the point, asked Echo, "So what happened last night?"

Echo's smile left her face instantly, and Loki almost wanted to kick Natasha under the table...but decided against it, as he preferred his foot to remain attached to his leg.

They moved to the living room, and listened to Echo as she told them how the nightmares started, and what had happened during her other episodes. How Muñez had ordered the others to inject her with the serum, and how her episodes were even stronger once she regained control of her powers.

Looking down, sniffling slightly, she admitted softly, "I wish I didn't have this power, because then I couldn't hurt anyone anymore. Especially not you guys; you are my family now, and I never want to hurt or leave you...but if I'm too dangerous to stay free, then just lock me up, I'll go quietly."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she spoke, and when she finished she closed her eyes, her shoulders shaking slightly from trying to hold in the tears. Bruce put a hand on her back, and rubbing it slowly, said quietly, "We'll never send you away. How can we, when you're just as much a part of the team as the rest of us now?"

She looked up in surprise, her eyes moist with unshed tears. "We're honored to be thought of as a family by you," said Tony, his voice thick with emotion.

"We care for each other here, and now that you're with us, we'll do everything to protect you as well," Steve added, Thor and Bucky nodding beside him.

Glancing at the others, who were all looking at her with such concern, Echo felt a sense of security and belonging that she never felt before, and a few tears fell down her cheeks. Wiping her eyes, she looked down bashfully, saying, "Thank you. It means a lot."

They all got up, and everyone slowly went their separate ways. Natasha gripped Echo's shoulder gently before departing with Clint, and Steve ruffled her hair playfully as he walked towards the elevator with Bucky.

Bruce told Echo to get dressed, and to meet him in the gym for a bit of training. Once at the gym, they went off into a separate room made specifically for Bruce's meditation exercises.

Sitting in the lotus position, Bruce started by having Echo breathe deeply, empty her mind, and concentrate only on his voice, listening to what he was saying. "That's it, just keep breathing. Steady, there's no rush. Just focus on me, and nothing else."

At some point he decided her ready, and had her concentrate on all the energy in her body. "Imagine your power coursing through your body, each little atom floating around. When you're ready, let me know."

With her eyes closed, nothing existed in this peaceful place except for her and her power, and Bruce and his soothing voice. Concentrating, she pictured the flames flowing through her veins, and soon she felt as if her body was tingling with the power. Opening her mouth, she said in a shaky voice, "I'm ready."

Nodding, Bruce said carefully, "Now put all your focus in your palm, and create a controlled flame. Nothing too big, just neat and simple." He watched in amazement as a small ball of fire appeared in her left hand, and smiled as it flickered steadily within her palm.

Then – and he knew it was dangerous – he had her remember her nightmare, and what she felt like after her episodes. She began shaking, another flame appearing in her right hand, both growing bigger then smaller repeatedly, her eyes still closed, brows furrowed as she struggled to stay in control.

Bruce reminded her to breathe steadily; "Don't panic, you're doing fine. Maintain control, you can do it." The fire suddenly rushed up her arms to cover them, and Bruce worried he pushed her too far, too early.

But, remaining calm, he told her to concentrate on the energy that powers the flame, and to regain control of it. "Remember what you did during the first step. Find the source of your power, and get a good grip on it. I know you're scared of hurting others, but that's why you have to use that fear to control the fire better." He then noticed the flames creep back down her arms, slowly but surely, and smiled while sighing in relief.

When the flames were back in her hands, although still quite big, he encouraged her, saying "You're doing a great job. Almost there, you can do it." A crooked smile appeared on her face, although her eyes remained closed.

Her arms were shaking, although not as violently as before, and her brow was matted with sweat from the effort. With calming, supportive words, Bruce had her make the flames smaller. Finally, when she had the original flame back in her one hand, he told her to focus and extinguish it.

With a final clenching of her fist, the fire snuffed out, and she opened her eyes slowly, looking at Bruce in awe. He beamed at her, applauding, saying, "Great job, especially for the first time! See, it's not all bad!"

Echo grinned wearily, and followed Bruce's lead when he got up to leave the room. When she stood up, she nearly fell from exhaustion when taking the first step, but Bruce was there, holding her up.

Apologizing for making her so tired, he waited until she was steady, then walked out, holding the door open for her. The bright light of the gym made her close her eyes instinctively, and as she stumbled, her arm reached out to catch herself.

'_Wait, why does the wall feel so...fleshy?'_ Her eyes popping open, she saw that she had caught herself against a shirtless Steve – or his rock-hard abs, to be specific. Whipping her hand back, she stuttered a quick, "I'm sorry", unable to look at him.

Steve just chuckled, and said with a mischievous smirk, "I know, I'm just irresistible." Echo snapped out of it at _that_ remark, and she looked up at him with a purse of her lips.

Bucky cracked up from where he stood a bit behind Steve, and walked over saying, "Hey, you're good-looking, but don't get full of yourself!" He ran his hands up Steve's sides, making Steve flinch away – Echo noticed he didn't want Bucky touching his sides, and a mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes.

"Steve! You've been hanging around Bucky and Tony too much, I think," Echo exclaimed, shaking her head at his comment.

Steve, Bucky and Bruce chuckled at that, then Echo said with an evil grin, "Well, I'm sure those abs of steel would protect you from any punch I threw at you...but are they as effective against _tickling hands_?"

Her hands darted out and she started tickling up and down his sides; his eyes widened in gleeful surprise, and he recoiled, laughing as she continued her assault. "No, stop!" He tried to get away, backing up, but then Bucky stuck his foot out and he fell to the ground with a mighty thud. "Bucky, why?!" he cried, looking up at his laughing boyfriend, who just shrugged with a naughty grin.

Echo pounced on top of Steve, much to the enjoyment of Bruce and Bucky. They just stood along the side, laughing and offering no support to Steve, who begged them to help between choked laughs. "Ah, help, somebody– THOR! Get her – ahaha- off!"

Echo was so focused on keeping Steve on the floor, tickling his sides and stomach insistently, that she didn't notice Thor and Loki come into the gym.

Thor was wearing loose black shorts and a light grey tank top, and Loki was wearing similar black shorts and a dark green tank top. They had been ready to work out for a few hours, but they froze at the sight of Echo sitting on a laughing Steve. Noticing Bruce and Bucky chuckling on the sidelines, a smile crossed Loki's face.

He was relieved that Echo was smiling again; after that stressful night and morning, she deserved to relax and have fun to forget about it for a while. Steve's voice cut through his thoughts, as he choked out a plea for help to Thor between laughs, tears starting to form in his eyes. Thor grinned, and ran toward the others, Loki right behind him.

Echo didn't hear the others coming, due to her unrelenting tickling of Steve under her. _'Well, this is one way to get the great Captain America to give in,'_ she thought gleefully. Suddenly huge hands grabbed her sides from behind, and she squealed in surprise as she was lifted off of Steve.

"Ah, sweet relief." She grinned down at Steve from where she was still being held up, her bare feet about a foot off the ground, as he took a deep breath and rubbed at his sides. Bucky finally walked over to Steve, helping him to his feet while still laughing.

She started wriggling around, feet flailing, trying to get out of Thor's iron grip, but to no avail. Huffing, she crossed her arms and saw Loki in the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw him laughing at her expression and predicament, and pouted even more.

Then she heard a deep chuckle from behind her, and then Thor's voice boomed out with, "Shall you get your revenge now, Captain?"

As Loki was looking at Echo, her face became horrified, and she began wriggling again, harder than before. Thor just chuckled again, and began tickling her sides as he was holding her.

She squealed with laughter, yelling, "No, stop, haha, stop!" Thor gently placed her on her back on the ground, where she lay catching her breath.

Steve walked over, a naughty grin on his face, and she became panicked again. She attempted to kick out at Steve, to keep him away, while trying to crawl backwards, but Loki quickly decided to intervene.

Grabbing one of her flailing feet, he pulled her back towards them, making her cry out in surprise. "No! I thought you were on my side!" Loki just grinned at her, laughing as she tried to wrench her foot out of his firm grasp. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, "Uh, Norse _God_."

Thor held her arms down, as Loki did with her feet, but even with two Asgardians holding her down, she tried desperately to get away. Then Steve crawled over, and positioning himself on his knees alongside her, began tickling her relentlessly along her sides.

As his hands went lower on her sides, Loki noticed she becomes quite frantic, until she yelled out, "No, haha, no, not there, ahahaha, do—!" She released a fresh stream of giggles as Steve attacked her lower sides with relish, discovering that they were ultra sensitive.

"Ha, I've found her weak spot!" Steve exclaimed in joy; Loki claimed her left side, loving how she writhed on the ground, her face one of complete happiness, eyes clenched shut and mouth wide open as she laughed at their antics. Steve continued on her right side and stomach, and Thor got the top part of her sides.

Tears leaking out of her closed eyes, she reached out a shaking hand, and called out, "No fair! Ahahaha, it's three –aha – against one! Ah, Bruce, Bucky, hahaha, HELP ME!"

Loki saw a blur in the corner of his eye, then suddenly he was pushed to the ground, letting out a yelp of surprise. His cheek pressed against the ground, he struggled to get out of Bruce's grip. But with a knee pressing slightly into his back, he could barely move, other than stretching his arm around to push pathetically at the man above him.

Then he heard, "Brother, I shall assist you!" and Loki turned his head as best as he could to see Thor abandon his attack on Echo.

Fairly tackling Bruce to the ground, Loki watched Thor flew over him then land in a heap beside him. Loki breathed deeply in relief, closing his eyes in rest for a moment.

Hearing explosions of laughter from either side of him, he got to his knees and glanced around. Bruce had escaped Thor's grip, and was leaning wearily against the wall away from Thor, who was watching him as a hunter does with prey.

Steve was still tormenting Echo, a wide smile on his face as he attacked her sensitive sides; and Echo was a giggling, wriggling, and completely adorable mess underneath his hands. _'Soon to be my hands!'_

Before Loki could gather strength to knock Steve aside, suddenly Bucky came flying into the scene, and rammed into the ground. A wrestling match ensued, and Loki watched as Echo tried to regain her breath.

It seemed she felt his gaze, for she looked up at him, and a wide smile crossed her face. 'You're next,' he mouthed to Echo, and her eyes widened in mock terror, as she raised herself on her elbows.

She got to her hands and knees and started crawling toward Bruce, to try to get Thor away from him. But before she could move any farther, Loki lunged. However, he underestimated how fast Echo was, and he fell on his front as she dove to the side.

Turning to his back rapidly, Loki saw Echo's eyes light up and before he could move away, Echo was straddling his upper legs, tickling his sides tirelessly. Laughing, he grabbed her hips and tried to roll her off. The first attempt was a failure, and she merely attacked stronger.

Gathering strength, Loki quickly rolled her off, laughing at her small exclamation of surprise. But before he could grab her, she was on her feet and off toward Thor and Bruce. He watched in _complete_ amazement as she threw herself onto Thor's back, tickling his sides the best she could from her position.

Roaring with laughter, Thor turned away from Bruce finally, and tried to twist around to get Echo off. The little minx evaded his hands though, hanging on as if she were on a bull ride, still tickling him insistently. While laughing, Thor fell to his hands and knees, and gasped out "Someone...I require assistance!"

Laughing, Loki got to his feet to take on Echo, but she saw him immediately. Laughing gleefully, she jumped off of Thor, who collapsed on his stomach, and tried to run away. But as she ran past Thor, he grabbed her foot, and she fell to the ground with a small 'oof.'

She turned around just in time to squeal as Loki pounced on her, attacking her lower sides mercilessly. Soon a gasping, giggling mess, she gasped out for help, and suddenly Loki felt a huge hand on his neck, and he was dumped unceremoniously onto the ground beside Echo.

Then they're both laughing as Thor sat between them, tickling them with a hand each. With eyes clenched shut, Loki felt a presence on his other side, and saw Bruce on the ground yet again, at the mercy of a grinning Steve and Bucky. Bruce coughed out, "We surrender!" and Loki and Echo were quick to repeat that cry.

Steve, Bucky and Thor sat up, bumping fists with smug grins; the three on the ground looked at each other, then leapt up simultaneously, pushing Steve and Thor onto their backs on the floor. They all collapsed, laughing like maniacs, completely worn out from the tickling/wrestling battle.

Echo rolled off of Thor, and found herself next to Loki, who's lying on his stomach with eyes closed and mouth open in light laughter. Unable to resist, she reached out a hand and brushed a few stray hairs from in front of his eyes.

Loki's eyes burst open at her touch, and his grin changed as he looked into her eyes, lifting his hand to cover hers on the floor between them. They almost lost themselves in each others' eyes, but then movement from around them snapped them out of the trance.

Getting up with the others, they get back to what they had been planning to do earlier. As Loki got on the treadmill, he caught Echo's eyes as she went out the door, and the smiles that crossed their faces seemed to be more familiar than before. Sighing deeply, Loki hoped beyond hope that he was not simply imagining the whole flirting scenarios, and that the feelings he felt were mutual.

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**Hehe, poor Steve. The first victim. :P Anyways, I hope this chapter was ok. I know there wasn't much action, but don't worry – we'll be getting back into that in chapter 12! Next chapter will be up on Monday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey y'all, I'm back! :P I have another silly filler chapter for you, but before we get to that, I have to thank – Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, truelovealwaysprevails, schultzmargret – for their wonderful reviews! They always make my day! :D And thank you to all those who have followed/favorited my story as well! OK, enough of my ramblings – on to the chapter! :)**

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'_I swear, these Avengers are deliberately trying to drive me insane!'_ Well, that was a bit unfair. It was mainly Echo, Tony and Clint who had teamed up and who were now draining his patience day by day, two of whom were sitting in the living room right now being punished for their latest deception.

Planning little pranks now and then, being sarcastic, making fun of him – Loki could handle those types of things. But these last two stunts they'd pulled were making his hair turn grey, and he was _immortal!_

The first one was mostly Tony's fault, but at the end of the day, instead of being mad as she _should have been_, Echo had stood up for Tony! Shaking his head, he chuckled wearily as the memories of that day drifted to the front of his mind.

_As Loki looked up at the sky, straining to focus on the barely recognizable speck among the clouds, he wondered for the infinite time what exactly had been going through Tony's head when he planned this. Well, obviously, he hadn't been thinking, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through with such a ridiculous plan. For there, zooming across the sky, was Tony in his Iron Man suit, and for some unexplainable reason, Echo was in his arms screaming in both glee and fright._

_The day had begun similar to the rest, nothing warning them of what Tony would do in the afternoon. Echo had gone off with Tony and Bruce to their lab to help them with fixing up Tony's suit, and Loki had gone down to the gym to work-out and spar with Clint and Natasha._

_After a few hours down there, Steve suddenly burst through the doors, saying rapidly, "It's Echo! Tony's gone and – ugh, just come on!" Puzzled, Loki immediately sprinted after him, followed by the other two, and they had ridden the elevator with Steve up to the topmost level._

_Scrambling out, they ran out the glass doors to the very top of the Tower, where the portal had been during the battle of New York. Bruce was standing there, yelling at Tony to come back down. Not seeing Echo, Loki asked quickly, "What's going on? Where's Echo?"_

_With a worried expression, Bruce explained, "We just updated Tony's suit, and of course he wanted to test it out immediately. So, came up here together, and Tony started flying around, doing his usual tricks." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second, before continuing, "At some point Echo admitted that she was afraid of heights and couldn't imagine flying around like Tony did all the time. An innocent enough remark, right? Well, Tony, of course, decided that the best way for her to get over that fear was to try it. He had raced down, barely managing to land without crashing, grabbed Echo, then had shot back up into the air before I could even blink."_

_At hearing that, Loki's head snapped up to barely see that there was indeed a figure in the arms of Tony's Iron Man suit. The wind brought screams of both panic and exhilaration from Echo, and Bruce continued to shout at Tony to come down._

"_Tony, you better get your arse down here or suffer the consequences!" Loki bellowed, but the speck in the sky simply flew upside down in a loop, bringing another scream down to them._

_Clint brought out a radio to communicate with Tony so that everyone could hear him, and said calmly, "Hey, idiot. You're going to give the girl a heart-attack. Bring her back down."_

"_No way, she's enjoying it!" They hear another panicked scream, and look up to see Tony spinning rapidly upwards. "See?"_

_Clenching his fists tightly, making the knuckles white, Loki yelled, "Imbecile, she's screaming out of fear not excitement!"_

"_NAH! I can see her smiling against her better judgment – she's not that scared!" 'Against her better judgment, you fool! The adrenaline will last for only so long!' Before Loki could retort, Tony said, "All right, I'm going to show her around the city! See ya!" And without another second wasted, the speck that was Tony flew off with Echo still in his arms._

"_No Tony! Tony, get back here!" Bruce called into the radio, but apparently he had disconnected the radio on his side, for only static answered them._

"_Damn it all! When he gets back..." Loki didn't have to elaborate, for the others were thinking the same as him. Fuming, he resorted to pacing the living room floor before finally sitting at the kitchen table, glaring into space._

_In the end Tony stayed out about 45 minutes, and from where Loki was sitting, he could hear the dull rumble of the Iron Man suit as it approached._

_Looking outside, he saw Tony land quite softly, and growled protectively when he saw how Echo was clinging to Tony, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Getting to his feet, he saw Tony place Echo on her feet out on the balcony, then go through the procedure to get out of his suit._

_Watching Echo, Loki sighed in relief to see her smiling, her hair completely ruffled from the wind. She took a few unsteady steps after Tony, but then fell on her bottom laughing. Loki began walking faster when he passed through the glass doors, but Tony beat him to it, running back to Echo to help her to her feet._

_Upon reaching the two, Loki heard him ask, "Are you ok?" and had to restrain himself from shaking the man while shouting "Of course she's not!"_

"_Are – you – insane?" he snarled, making Tony whip around with wide terror-filled eyes. He stood there, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound, the mighty Tony Stark actually rendered speechless at the sight of the fuming Loki._

_Then a small voice broke the tense silence – "Actually, it was fun."_

_Loki's eyes snapped to Echo, who looked slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but continued with a strong voice, "Sure, it was terrifying at the same time, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it as well."_

_Tony laughed triumphantly, but quickly sobered up when Loki glared at him again. Taking Echo by the shoulders, he asked firmly, "Are you sure? A number of things could have gone wrong, but physically you're fine. You didn't suffer some sort of panic attack?"_

_She shook her head, then with an impish grin said, "Why, I'm touched by your concern Mr. Laufeyson."_

_Tony guffawed loudly, but Loki ignored him to release Echo's shoulders and said gruffly, "You are a valuable teammate – of course we were all concerned."_

"_Well, I'm ok, so no need to worry!" She flashed a brilliant smile at him, then began to walk away. Apparently a thought came to her, for Loki watched as she turned back around and walked to Tony again._

_Gesturing for him to lean down, she then placed a small kiss on his cheek, then said softly, "Thank you Tony, for that."_

_Tony just grinned and winked at her, "No problem Echo." With that, she pranced away to go sooth the others' worries as well._

_Tony tried to get back inside quickly as well, but Loki grabbed the back of his shirt before he could escape. Gripping the front of Tony's shirt, he growled, "You ever try anything as monumentally idiotic as that ever again, and I may not be able to restrain myself as I did today. Understood?"_

"_You got it Reindeer Games," Tony gulped, attempting to but failing in hiding his slight fear._

"_Good. I shall see you at dinner then," Loki said curtly, leaving coolly as if he had not been just threatening Tony's life, and went back inside to calm down._

Smirking at the memory of Tony's fearful expression, Loki recalled that he had had no trouble from Tony for the rest of that week. However, Clint and Echo had more than made up for Tony's absence – there had been a concert nearby that Clint had wanted to see, and he had tried to convince the others' to let him go.

"_No, Clint. We're heroes, not teenagers. We need to keep up a good image, and jumping around in a concert is not the right image we want," Steve said firmly. Clint pouted and glared at him, making Loki chuckle. With Clint behaving as a child, it was easy to picture Steve as the tough parent telling him no._

_Suddenly Echo jumped into the conversation, saying, "We could still behave like heroes during the concert! We could help the security guards with keeping the audience under control."_

_Clint immediately pounced on the idea,. "Yeah, see! I could still do my job and have fun too! what do you say?"_

"_Like you'll be paying attention to anything other than the stage," Natasha scoffed, making Clint's glare at her._

"_I'm offended. You don't think I'm responsible?" Loki snickered at the silence that followed, and Clint's face fell comically. "fine, I won't go," he replied, and the others sighed as he slowly walked away, disappointment radiating off him in waves._

_As Loki turned away, he caught Echo looking after Clint with a naughty smirk; whipping his head back, Clint quickly changed his smile back into a frown and continued walking away in defeat._

_Glancing back at Echo, Loki became confused for there was no trace of a smirk anywhere. Unsure of what just happened, he shook his head and assumed he had imagined the grins._

_That night they all went to bed, Clint complaining once again that he should be able to go to a concert even if he was an Avenger, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary occurred._

_Sometime during the night, Loki was awaked by his stomach growling loudly, and got up sluggishly to eat a midnight snack. Or rather, a 2:15AM snack, but he didn't feel too guilty, as he was in terrific shape._

_Walking through the living room, he glanced at the window and saw that it was raining quite heavily. Glad he was inside rather than out, he padded quietly over to the kitchen._

_As he was searching the fridge, Loki heard the elevator ding and immediately got into a defensive stance. He knew that Tony was already back up from his lab, and not even Steve would work out at this hour._

_He listened carefully and could distinguish two sets of squeaky footsteps, and two voices whispering to each other. Recognizing them immediately, Loki straightened up from where he was hiding behind the corner, and walked out with arms crossed to great the two miscreants._

_Echo caught sight of him first, and stopped talking immediately – they both froze and Loki took a second to make them uncomfortable and to take a better look at them._

_They were both soaking wet, hair plastered to their heads, clothes dripping on the floor, but their victorious smiles shone brightly on their faces. Loki would have to change that._

"_And just where have you two been?" he asked coolly, and smirked when their smiles faltered slightly at the sound of his voice. "You didn't go to that outdoor concert when you weren't supposed to, did you?"_

_Clint looked sheepish, but Echo's grin simply grew naughtier, making Loki slightly nervous. "Why? It's not like you listen to everything someone tells _you_. I do what I want, right?" She smirked up at him while Clint laughed beside her, and Loki had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at their childish behavior._

_Waving them away, he sighed and said, "I'm too tired for this. We shall continue this later – and _you two_ will tell the others what you did, I refuse to cover for you." Pouting, they nodded grudgingly and escaped to their bedrooms._

_Rubbing his forehead, Loki returned to his bedroom to rest before the fiasco that would occur that morning started._

* * *

"See what happens when you don't listen? Look at you two!" Natasha cried, gesturing to the two standing in front of her. Loki smirked from where he was sitting beside Thor and Steve, enjoying the show along with them.

Echo was swaying slightly, her cheeks red with fever and breathe rattling softly in her chest before she coughed quietly. Clint was sniffling, pulling a tissue out of his pocket and blowing his nose before crossing his arms to try and look tough.

However, dressed in grey sweats and a loose dark blue t-shirt, his hair a mess and eyes weary...he did not look intimidating at all, and he knew it.

"I hope you've learned your lesson. Now go sit in the living room – you aren't allowed to watch TV or anything like that. Just sit and get over your colds. Be happy I'm not calling Fury on you." Those two straightened up at that, and Loki chuckled along with the others as they nodded enthusiastically.

Clint glared daggers at him, but the image was ruined when his face contorted suddenly and he sneezed explosively into the crook of his arm – Loki couldn't help but burst out with laughter at his expression. The loud sneeze surprised Echo, and she started coughing quietly for a few seconds, before wincing at her sore throat.

Natasha clicked her tongue impatiently, and pointed to the living room, ordering, "Go sit on the couch, _now_. You two are pitiful," she said, but they could hear the playfulness in her voice and knew she was joking.

Loki grinned over his mug as Clint and Echo leaned on each other while walking into the living room, obviously too disorientated to walk by themselves. Shaking his head in amusement, Loki got up from the table and headed down to the gym to do his workout.

* * *

Later on, after hitting the gym and taking a shower, Loki went into the kitchen to grab some food. Steve was at the stove, stirring a pot of soup while talking to Bruce, Natasha and Tony.

"Hey Reindeer Games! How are ya doin'?" Tony called out, a wide smile splitting his face.

Narrowing his eyes, Loki asked with suspicion, "What do you want me to do now?"

The others cracked up at Tony's surprised face, before he exclaimed, "I can't just say hi? Jeez, what do you think of me?"

Loki smirked at Tony, for there had been numerous occasions when Tony used this tactic to get something he needed, causing Tony to roll his eyes back at him. "Nah, _I_ don't need anything, but Steve needs someone to feed the sick people," he laughed, pointing his thumb at the living room.

As if on cue, a sneeze erupted from the other room, prompting Bruce and Steve to yell out, "Bless you!" This was followed by a gruff "thank you" from Clint, causing them all to crack a smile at his miserable tone of voice.

Nodding at Steve, Loki said, "All right, I'll take them their food." _'So I can check on Echo as well,"_ he thought while taking the two bowls and spoons from Steve.

Walking into the living room, Loki had to seriously control himself from laughing out loud at the two on the couches. From Clint's glare, he knew why Loki had paused in the doorway, but Loki just smirked back at him.

Clint was on the armchair, a blanket around his shoulders and another tucked around and under his outstretched legs that lay on a small table in front of him. He had a box of tissues next to him, and the trashcan beside him was nearly full for the third time that day. There was a mug of tea beside his feet on the table, and magazines in front of him since he wasn't allowed to watch TV.

Handing him the bowl, Loki couldn't help but say in a mocking voice, "Now, don't burn your tongue on the soup. Remember to blow, ok?" Loki reached out and pinched Clint's cheek as he said that, his grin widening at Clint's annoyed expression.

Clint pulled away and said angrily, "I swear, you do that again and I'll –" But he never finished as another sneeze exploded out of him, almost making him spill the soup, and causing Loki to laugh at him again.

Turning towards Echo, he was surprised to see her with her eyes closed, as he had just seen her awake when he had entered.

She was wrapped in blankets similarly to Clint, although her legs were on the couch rather than a table, as she had claimed the longer sofa in the beginning. She had a pillow propped up behind her, and there were about a million cough drops and wrappers along the table beside her, along with a cup of tea and a few books.

Looking at her supposedly sleeping face, he noticed the corners of her lips curve slightly upwards, and Loki grinned along with her. Poking her on the cheek, she opened her eyes and started laughing at his action, making him chuckle as well.

"Your meal, milady," he said as he handed her the bowl, ignoring Clint's voice whine behind him, "Why does _she_ get the special treatment?"

She mouthed 'thank you', and at his confused expression to why she didn't speak, she rolled her eyes and patted her throat. "Ah." Loki understood, then straightened up and went back to the kitchen.

Making a fresh pot of tea, and grabbing the honey and a spoon, Loki returned to the living room. He refilled their cups with tea, and then stirred in a spoon of honey in Echo's cup as well.

As he took her bowl away, he explained, "For your sore throat. It'll help sooth it." She smiled brightly up at him before taking a sip, and he felt his mouth split into a grin as he turned towards Clint.

Meeting his gaze, Loki pursed his lips at Clint's devious expression. "What is it _now_?" he questioned in annoyance.

"Oh, nothing. It's just so _adorable_ watching you two interact," he said, fanning himself as if he were about to swoon. Loki just rolled his eyes, punching Clint in the arm before jumping to the side to avoid Clint's retaliating swing.

He heard Echo giggling quietly behind him, and then Clint erupted, "What are _you_ laughing at? It's _your_ fault he punched me!" Loki shook his head, and brought the dishes to the sink where Steve started to wash them.

Clint's voice carried into the kitchen; "Stop laughing at me! Gah!" Loki grinned at Clint's frustrated groan and at Echo's continuous giggling.

Then she stopped giggling, and it sounded like she said something along the lines of, "You're just jealous."

"_WHAT?!_" Loki laughed at Clint's shout of complete shock. "Me, jealous?! Of you?! I think you've had too many cough drops."

Echo's voice was heard again, but suddenly it cut off and the sound of harsh coughing filled the air, and Clint said quickly, "Oh shit. Echo, are you ok?"

Loki got to his feet, and strode into the living room, Bruce right behind him. Echo was doubled over, coughing violently into her arm. She had her eyes clenched shut, and her face was turning red as she gasped for air.

Squeezing onto the small space beside her, Loki gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, his right arm curling around her shaking body. Rubbing her back softly, he said, "Shh, it's ok. Just breath, you're ok." Echo continued to cough, desperately trying to breathe.

After what seemed like several minutes, she stopped coughing, her body relaxing visibly in Loki's arms. As she took in large breathes of air, her heaving chest starting to slow down, she opened her eyes, but immediately shut them as she was overcome with dizziness.

Loki continued to rub her back as her breath evened out, chuckling as she rested her head on his chest while murmuring, "Make it stop spinning."

"Just breath, it'll stop soon enough," he said gently, his deep voice reverberating in his chest beside her ear. She just nodded and smiled softly, her eyes remaining closed for the moment.

They sat there for a few minutes, Loki just listening to the sound of her breathing, his arm still wrapped protectively around her. He could practically _feel_ Clint's smirk burning behind him, and so chose to ignore him. Glancing up at Bruce, he was smiling down at them, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses.

Tilting his head to the side, Bruce said quietly, "I think she fell asleep again." Looking down at her, Loki laughed softly at the sight of her now relaxed face.

As he carefully stepped away, laying her back against the pillow, Clint said, "You should be careful. Looks like she's making it a habit of falling asleep on you." Loki had to laugh, as there was definitely proof for that statement.

Tucking the blanket more tightly around her, Loki straightened up again, still refusing to look at Clint. But, his efforts to avoid some sort of smirk were foiled as he entered the kitchen, and he met Tony and Steve's eyes.

Groaning in exasperation, Loki said gruffly, "I will be in my room. Farewell." Refilling his cup of tea, he turned around and exited the kitchen.

He raised his free hand to avoid seeing Clint's expression in his peripheral vision, and quickly walked down the hallway to his bedroom.

Once in his room, the tension escaped his body and he collapsed against the door. Chuckling quietly, he sighed, "Oh Echo, what are you doing to me?"

* * *

**Haha, those three are terrible, aren't they, picking on poor Loki like that. ;D But he still took care of them when they were sick...treating Clint like a child, ehehe. =P And who can blame Echo for falling asleep in Loki's arms - wouldn't you love to do that? (I know I would!) ;D  
**

**OK, we'll be jumping back into the action next chapter! I'll be updating on Friday! Take care everyone! =D**

**-Ana :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**All right, it's FRIDAAAAY! Any of you have plans for the weekend? LOL, I'm just helping out at my bro's fundraiser and writing a 4 page book review for history. Living the great life, right? ;D**

**Anyways, big thanks to – Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, truelovealwaysprevails – for their magnificent reviews! I love opening my inbox after each update and seeing all these messages! :) OK, as promised, here's the update!**

* * *

The next day started out the same, eating breakfast together, and deciding what they were going to do. Clint and Echo had recovered quickly, but hadn't gone back to pranking Loki. _'Thankfully,'_ he thought as he looked over at the two giggling across from him at the table.

Seeming to feel his gaze, Echo looked up and flashed him a wide smile. Seeing this, Clint nudged her with his elbow, grinning mischievously. She blushed madly, smacking him in the arm, causing Loki to laugh at Clint's fake hurt expression.

Then, just as they were finishing breakfast, JARVIS interrupted, saying, "Incoming call from Director Fury. He says there's trouble."

Groaning, Tony said, "All right, put him on loud speaker."

"Time to move, Avengers. We seem to have found one of the hideouts for the gang you fought earlier, and I want you to investigate. Bring in any and all of those you find, along with any weapons they have on them."

Hurrying to their feet, they suited up, and left in the van S.H.I.E.L.D provided for them. Looking around from where he sat between Clint, and Bruce and Thor, Loki found that the van was rather impressive. It was spacious inside; there were benches on the two longer walls, one he was sitting on, and one across from him. There were medical supplies along the wall to his left, and an assortment of weapons on shelves above him and the others.

The vehicle soon skidded to a stop, and Loki leapt out with the others, taking a glance around the area. There seemed to be no one on the outside of the building, but they kept an eye out all the same. Cautiously, they entered the building, and as he looked to his right, Loki saw someone quickly run around the corner.

"Over there," he whispered, nodding his head to the right. Steve moved past Loki down the hallway, stealthily and slowly – he turned back to say something, when suddenly a group of armed men ran from around the corner.

"Look out!" Echo shouted, and Loki whipped his head to the left to see a similar group appear from the other side. He immediately got into a defensive stance, standing back to back with Clint who had his bow aimed at the approaching group.

Shooting off a few blasts, Loki grinned as about seven men got thrown into their companions or the walls. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man run up to him, and almost casually swept his scepter around to knock the man to the ground.

Catching Natasha's eyes, she scoffed at his expression before punching a man solidly in the face, then lashing out and landing a hard kick in another's stomach. Pouting, Loki turned back to the battle to redeem his dignity.

They seemed to be doing well, when suddenly a swarm of new men appeared out of nowhere and the fight became more strained. Grunting with effort, Loki blasted a few men away from him. Hearing a commotion behind him, he turned only to have to dodge a bullet that narrowly missed his cheek.

Before he could get off another shot to reply, a few dozen flares rush past him and stun the group of men surrounding him. Looking behind him, Loki smirked as Tony asked in a smug voice, "See that?"

"Yeah, yeah, nice," Steve replied with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, let's finish these guys."

Within the next few minutes, the fight turned more strenuous as more men appeared, but Loki fought vigorously. At some point, he noticed he hadn't seen Echo for a while, but as he glanced around, he assumed she was simply lost in the crowd.

'_She can handle herself, I know that,'_ he thought with a grim smile. That floor was soon taken care of, and they regroup. Looking around, Loki frowned as Echo was nowhere to be seen. And she wasn't the only one missing.

"Where's Natasha?" Clint asked, worry clear in his face. Rather than shout around, he quickly attempted to get a hold of Natasha with their blue tooth devices. They waited a few tense minutes, but then the call was picked up. "Natasha?"

Though static-y, her voice was heard, as she said, "We're fine. They came out of nowhere, and somehow subdued us." Her voice was lost for a moment, but then it came back in bursts, as she continue talking, "locked up in a dark room...in boxes. My hands are tied...can barely move, but...ok for the moment...so is Echo...on my right."

Suddenly she broke off, and the others panicked, but then Natasha said suddenly, "Echo...are you all right?"

Then they could hear Echo's voice as her blue tooth was activated; she was taking rapid breathes, almost hyperventilating, and Loki's concern increased. "Can't breathe...need to escape...don't like small spaces."

Clint swore, as he remembered how she had practically run out of the cell that first day. As the others looked at him, he quickly said, "She's claustrophobic."

Loki grew panicked, for he knew that people could resort to violence in those situations. And with such an unstable power, she could endanger both herself and Natasha.

As they run off to look for them, they heard a crash from Natasha's side, and quickly ask her what that was.

"I kicked down the side of my box. Almost out of my bonds." With a victorious sigh, she shook the ropes off her wrists. As she turned towards Echo, Natasha saw the box was shaking from the panic that Echo was feeling at the moment. Before she could move any closer, some men come into the room and she has to turn back and focus on them.

Running up stairs, Loki still heard Echo frantically gasping, heard how she was pushing at the walls, but in her panic, she couldn't focus. He attempted to talk to her, but then encountered more men in the other floor, and had to shut off the connection to take care of them.

* * *

Natasha was fighting the last two men when suddenly she heard a terrible cry from behind her, and looked in horror as the box burst into flame. The two men immediately attempted to run away, but a ball of fire flew past them, charring the doorway. They froze in their steps, slowly turning back around.

Natasha was frozen as well, looking at Echo as she stood up, her entire body aflame. Bigger balls of fire encircled her hands, and Natasha couldn't help but shiver as she saw her eyes. The once warm chocolate browns were now black like darkest night, cold and hungry.

One of the men moved toward the door, then began to run in his panic, but a fireball quickly caught him in the back and he fell heavily to the ground. Natasha called out softly to Echo, thinking that this was very similar to her encounter with the Hulk, and only wondered, _'Why is it always _me_?'_

Echo's head whipped around to look at her, but Natasha held her gaze undeterred, saying softly, "It's ok Echo. It's only me, you're safe." Echo only growled, and stalked forward.

Natasha got into a ready stance, but with unexpected speed, Echo was suddenly behind her, and she just barely dodged Echo's fiery fist. Crouching, she swept her leg around, attempting to catch Echo's legs.

Echo jumped over them easily, bringing another fiery fist down as she landed back on the ground. Rolling away quickly, Natasha blocked a few more punches, wincing at the heat radiating off of Echo's body.

Coughing slightly, she blinked heavily before sending a strong punch toward Echo's stomach. Twisting away, Echo replied in kind by attempting to land a vicious kick into Natasha's side, which she just barely dodged.

They danced around for another minute, until with a rapid whip of her arm, Echo grabbed onto Natasha's forearm, and held it tightly, burning it. Natasha cried out in pain, and wrenched her arm away finally, falling to the ground from the force.

Clint, having just reached that hallway, heard the cry and sprinted to the room to see Natasha on the ground, and Echo standing over her with murder in her eyes. Ready to kill as well, he was about to knock her down, when Natasha put up a hand and said quickly, "She's been compromised! Don't hurt her."

Echo now looked at him, and he saw her black eyes glowing from within her burning face. Nodding his head slightly at Natasha, he stepped forward but then had to duck as a fireball flew at his face.

Rolling after the dive, he evaded her fiery fist, and made his way in front of her. Clint got into a ready stance quickly, and before she could move, kicked her in the side of the head just so.

Echo was so close to the wall that she was pushed into it with such force, and smacked the back of her head on it hard. Stumbling forward, the fire disappeared from her body, and she blinked once. Clint saw the round brown eyes, before they closed again and she fell forward unconscious.

He quickly caught her and laid her gently on the floor, her body so light in his arms that he felt bad for having to do that to her. But as he looked at Natasha wincing from her arm, he knew why he did it. He had held back of course, since he knew he could've killed her with enough force. But Natasha had known how he would've reacted, warning him before he could make a move.

Sighing wearily, Clint touched the device in his ear, and told the others where he was. "Natasha and Echo are both fine, this area's clear now." He went over to Natasha and examined her arm, wincing at the damage. "She sure packs a punch, that's for sure," he muttered, as Natasha shook her head at his comment.

Hearing running steps from outside, Clint got ready in case it wasn't his team, but then relaxed as he saw Loki come in.

Loki immediately looked around the room, and at seeing Echo on the ground unconscious, he roared at Clint, "What happened?! You said she was fine, this isn't fine!"

"She was out of control! What else could I do?" Clint replied angrily, standing up from where he was crouching beside Natasha.

Hearing that Clint had done it, Loki became even more infuriated, and Clint and Loki were soon eye to eye, ready to fight. The other men had since appeared, but they had no luck in tearing them apart. With a heavy sigh, Natasha picked herself off the ground, and walked between them.

"Clint, how did you feel when you saw me hurt? Upset, right?" Clint narrowed his eyes, but nodded curtly, returning his glare onto Loki's face.

Gesturing to Loki, Natasha proceeded with, "Well, _Loki_ here felt the same way when he saw _his_ love on the ground." She smirked slightly at the red tinge on Loki's cheeks that appeared after her words, but he managed to nod, agreeing with her words nonetheless.

Clint grudgingly accepted the explanation, and Loki apologized for his rash behavior. Looking over at Echo, he saw Thor pick her up, and brushed aside a few hairs from her face as they passed him.

Clint smirked at him, but Loki just glared back and followed Thor with as much dignity as he could.

* * *

During the ride back, Echo was placed between Thor and Steve, who could hold her down if they needed to. Clint, Natasha, Tony and Bruce were sitting opposite them, regaining their energy after that fight.

Loki was seated next to Thor, stealing glances at Echo's still face, making sure she was fine. He felt sorry for her, for having this extreme strength and power but being unable to control it, so that she would fall victim to it.

Looking over at Bruce, he realized that that must have been how Bruce felt in the beginning. He hoped that with time she could gain control of her power as he did, and not be so afraid of it anymore.

Suddenly he felt Thor tense beside him, and looked at Echo as she stirred, taking a deep breath. She rubbed the back of her head, groaning slightly – Loki noticed that Clint looked a little ashamed at that gesture – then she opened her eyes, confused at her surroundings.

As her eyes became more focused, Tony explained, "You had a panic attack due to your claustrophobia. That triggered your power somehow to go into auto-pilot, to protect yourself." Tony paused, his eyes full of regret. "In the process, however, you attacked Natasha, and Clint was forced to knock you out – both physically and snapping you out of the power's control."

Loki's gaze was on Echo's face the whole time, and at hearing that she had burned Natasha, she whipped her head around. Her eyes were glued onto Natasha's charred arm, and then she leapt out of her seat.

Handling Natasha's arm gently, Echo's small fingers carefully removed the sleeve to see the whole damage. It was very blistered, and she sucked in a breath. Looking up at Natasha with moist eyes, she asked for forgiveness. "I don't deserve it, I should've been able to control it, I just panicked –"

Natasha shushed her gently, saying, "It wasn't your fault. You needed to protect yourself. But I do know that you can learn to control this, with time and practice."

Echo smiled gratefully at her, then sat down beside her, still holding her arm. Putting her hand on the burn, a small light formed under her hand, to everyone's great surprise. "The only good thing about this power – I can heal burns and those sorts of injuries."

While being healed, Natasha smiled suddenly, and said to Echo, "I was really impressed with how easily you were able to keep up with me. No-one's really been able to do that before." Echo blushed at the praise, but Natasha pressed on; "Let's have a match sometime. It'll be good practice."

The men immediately agreed, and started bickering about who was going to win, and how much they were willing to bet. Loki just shook his head, keeping his eyes on Echo, especially her smile.

Though it may fool the others, he knew that it was fake because of how it didn't quite reach her eyes. Worried about her, he knew that she was upset about having attacked Natasha, and knew that he would have to catch her later on.

* * *

**Eh, that last sentence...I couldn't really figure out how to word it, so I hope that that was ok. Well, they jumped back into the battlefield, and there's definitely more action to come in the next few chapters! I hope you're still enjoying the story! Next chapter will be up on Tuesday! Take care everyone! (I'm off to watch the 2nd episode of Sherlock now! Man, do I need to catch up, but, I still have time!) :D  
**

**-Ana :)  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**All righty, so I'm super nervous about this chapter, **_**but**_** hopefully I do a good job. You let me know, all right? This chapter is one of the reasons why this story is rated M – there will be a "certain" scene in this one. It's my first time, so be gentle? ...Good lord, I just realized what I said. Eh, whatever. Take the pun or leave it, lol! :P**

**OK, enough of my ramble. Huge thanks and virtual hugs to all those who favorited/followed my story, and to my fantastic reviewers – Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, truelovealwaysprevails – your support really motivates me! :D**

**Now, on with the chapter! :)**

* * *

Loki walked into the Tower with the others, still worried about Echo but unsure if he should say anything yet. She disappeared into her room, and Loki sighed as he retreated into his own to shower and freshen up.

Pulling on a simple green t-shirt, black sweats, and draping a towel around his neck, he slowly made his way to the living room. Rubbing his hair vigorously, he peeked around and saw Clint and Thor watching a movie on the couch. "Where is Ec – everyone?" He asked, wording it so as not to entice another smirk from that damned archer.

The two were so engrossed in the movie that he needn't have worried anyways. "Steve's with Bucky...oh, and the scientists are in a lab somewhere." Clint said, gesturing with his hand in some general direction.

"Lady Natasha is in the gym, and the Lady Echo said she needed some time alone," Thor bellowed out after a pause, realizing that Loki was still waiting for a complete answer. _'_Finally_, what I was waiting for,' _Loki thought, leaving the two to watch their movie in peace.

After wandering a few floors, Loki finally became impatient, and said curtly, "Sentient mach – I mean, _JARVIS_." He rolled his eyes, for Tony had continued to badger him into calling his creation by his 'proper' name.

"Yes, sir?" The voice came from a small speaker in the corner of the room, but Loki still looked up before catching himself.

"Do you know the whereabouts of Echo?" Crossing his arms, he began to tap his foot as he waited for the infernal machine to search.

"Indeed. She is one floor beneath you. Take a left when you exit the elevator, and you'll soon find her."

Going there as fast as he could, Loki nearly flew out of the elevator in his haste. Turning a corner, he slowed to a walk as he saw Echo. She was leaning against a wall looking straight ahead of her, seeing into nothing. Even as Loki neared her, she didn't lose focus until Loki reached out and touched her shoulder softly.

She leapt a mile, nearly causing Loki to jump himself, and looked up at Loki with a surprised expression. "Oh, hi Loki. Did you need something?" Before she could stop it, a quaver got into her voice, and Loki saw a single tear roll down her cheek.

She reached up quickly to wipe it away, but Loki stopped her, holding her hand firmly but gently. He lifted his hand and brushed the tear off her cheek. Still holding her hand in his, his other hand cupping her cheek, he asked softly, "Why are you crying?"

She just sniffed and shook her head, looking away. "I'm still a monster – no matter how hard I try, I can't control my power," she said angrily. "I let it take over and hurt my friend, someone I count as family. I didn't deserve to be given a second chance in the first place, but especially after _that_...but you guys keep giving me more chances, as if I could do no wrong." She had been looking away from him that whole time, her eyes slightly moist as she struggled to rein in her tears.

Loki took note of her downcast eyes, the slight tremble of her bottom lip, the minute shake of her shoulders, and his heart gave a lurch as he saw much of his old self in her – weak, afraid, ostracized by everyone. _Ready to break at any moment._

Using the hand that was already on her cheek, he lifted her face up to his. Her eyes flickered rapidly back and forth between his, unsure and afraid...but also hopeful. Before he lost his courage, Loki brought his lips down and finally – _'Finally.' – _met hers as she met him halfway.

The spark between them was instantaneous, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. Loki held her firmly, one hand on the small of her back, the other on the back of her neck, pressing her small lithe body against his own tall, slender one.

Needing more contact – and noticing with a small smile that she was on her tiptoes to reach his lips – he lifted her up without breaking the kiss, her legs curling around his waist for support.

Unbeknownst to them, Tony and Bruce came strolling down the hallway, freezing in their tracks as they saw Loki and Echo. Smirking, Tony was about to interrupt them in his usual sarcastic way, but Bruce quickly pulled him back around the corner.

"Don't bother them!" he hissed, frowning at Tony.

"Well, it's about_ time_ Loki puts the moves on her! They're both nuts about each other, I was worried they wouldn't do anything!" With a wiggle of his eyebrows, Tony asked, "Got any ideas from that position?"

Bruce just swatted him in the shoulder, sighing, "You're terrible."

"Oh, come on? Please?"

Bruce shook his head, looking down the hallway away from Tony, and said, "We still have work to do." He squeaked slightly as he felt a pinch on his behind, and looked back at Tony in amazement. A blush came over his face as he saw Tony walking with a provocative sway of his hips down to the elevator.

Tony looked over his shoulder, and motioned seductively for Bruce to follow him. Grinning, he shrugged then gave chase, and Tony laughed as he ran for the elevator, the door closing just as Bruce caught him.

Loki broke the kiss for some much needed air, and because he thought he had heard something. Looking around suspiciously, he didn't see anything, and turned his attention back to Echo.

She was looking up at him with red cheeks, lips kiss-swollen, and a naughty smile on her face. With a low growl, Loki went in, but this time nipped at her neck, leaving small love bites along her collarbone.

She moaned softly as he bit the hollow between her neck and collarbone lightly, claiming her as his, then his tongue darted out to lick the same spot. His pants were becoming increasingly tight, and he subconsciously started grinding against her, pushing her into the wall.

As he slowly rubbed against her, still attacking her neck, she pushed against him slightly but he ignored her in favor of kissing the side of her neck. "Loki," she gasped. "Perhaps, nngh, perhaps we should, ah, continue this elsewhere?"

He stopped, and looked at her with lust filled eyes; she grinned naughtily while holding the back of his head, and lifted herself up so that her mouth was right next to his ear. He felt her hot breath, then groaned ever so slightly when her warm tongue traced the outside shell of his ear.

"Let's go to, my room, maybe? You may do with me as you want, my Prince." Her seductive whisper and the invitation she gave him sent a shiver down his spine, making a rather cramped area even more so. Then she began nibbling on his earlobe, and he snapped.

Putting her down gently but rapidly, Loki grabbed her hand and was about to teleport to her room. But Echo stopped him, quickly saying, "Wait. If we just disappear, then the others might come looking for us."

He frowned at the thought of getting interrupted, and then she said, "You can turn invisible, right? Follow me to my room, so at least one of us is seen before we, uh, _turn in,_ for the night."

She grinned mischievously up at him, before turning away to go to the elevator. Just as the doors opened to the living room, Loki turned invisible before walking after Echo.

Clint and Thor were still watching a movie, although Natasha had joined them since Loki had seen them last. Echo smoothly said, "Good night everyone. I'm going to sleep now."

Grinning, Loki breathed into her ear, "There will be no sleeping for you tonight, madam." He could see her start to blush as she turned quickly away from the others, and followed her closely as she fled down the hallway.

He barely made it through her door as she closed it behind her, still grinning at her reaction. Making himself visible, he turned to her, and saw her blushing red but grinning wickedly at him.

He cupped her face in his hands, grabbing her lips in a deep kiss. She gasped at the ferocity, and he immediately took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth. He explored every crevice of it, relishing her taste. Spicy and exotic, yet sweet as well; he couldn't get enough of it.

She moaned into the kiss, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer to her. Her hips started rolling against him of their own accord, causing another shock to flow straight to his groin.

Impatient, he grabbed the back of her thighs, and took a few steps until his knees hit the side of her bed, dropping them onto the sheets.

Panting slightly from their heated embrace, he looked down at Echo, his hands on either side of her head. The gaze that she directed at him with hooded eyes made him groan inwardly, and he continued ravaging her mouth.

His hands began exploring her body, running up and down her sides and he grinned against her lips as she moaned softly at his touch. His lips leaving her mouth, he placed feather-light kisses against her jaw and down her neck until he was back at the slight bruise he had left earlier.

Sucking on it slightly, he loved the way she trembled underneath him, whimpering, "Loki, the others will see."

Loki only kissed it again, whispering, "Don't care. You're _mine_." Before she could protest further, he raised himself up and kissed her again, nipping at her lips when she didn't respond.

Grinning wickedly, she placed one hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down just as she brought her hips up against his without warning.

He gasped at the feeling, his mouth falling open – Echo immediately caught his lips in an openmouthed kiss, sucking at his tongue . The implications of what she was doing finally broke his control, and his hands wandered back down until they were at the hem of her shirt.

Sliding her shirt up until she was able to take it off, he cupped her breasts through her bra, running his thumbs over the material before slipping it off too. His eyes raked hungrily over her body, and he frowned as she tried to cover herself.

Grabbing her wrists, he held them above her head, whispering, "Don't. You're beautiful." She blushed at his words, and he placed a chaste kiss on her lips before moving down to latch onto her breast.

Running his tongue over a dusky nipple, he licked and teased it until Echo was a writhing mess underneath him...and he proceeded to repeat with the other one. At this point, Echo was pulling at his shirt, and he quickly wrenched it off, smirking at her reaction to his supple body.

Rolling her eyes at his expression, she ran her fingers down his chest and toned stomach until they were at the waist of his sweats. Tugging them down slightly, Loki needed no further hint before his sweats joined the pile of clothes around the bed.

He rid Echo of her pants and underwear, leaving only one garment in between them as he crushed her lips in another kiss, grinding against her. One of his hands maneuvered its way south until it reached its destination.

Rubbing against her clit, she gasped at the new feeling as he slipped one finger into her wet heat, slowly pushing it in and out as he allowed her to adjust to it. Once her moans became louder, he added another and began scissoring them to stretch her more.

Finally thrusting three fingers inside her, her hips pushing against them, she kissed him again before whispering, "I'm – I think I'm ready." Meeting her eyes, he nodded before ridding himself of his boxers, his erection finally free from its confinements.

Positioning himself between her legs, she wrapped them around his waist, and he asked her one more time, "Are you sure?"

Not trusting her voice, she merely nodded, her eyes showing the trust Loki needed to see. Slowly, he slid into her, stopping when her eyes clenched shut and continuing when she opened them again.

Finally, he was fully sheathed in her and they paused, both breathing deeply at the sensations that were going through them. Loki could hardly stop himself from pounding into her, but controlled his movements to not hurt her.

Then she gasped out, "I'm ok Loki," and he wasted no time in pulling out and thrusting back in slowly, groaning at the feeling of her around him. He set a steady pace, and soon Echo's hips were pushing back on him, their bodies moving in sync.

Angling himself differently, trying to find the right spot, he knew he found it when Echo released a loud cry, her eyes widening at the pleasure it created. "There! Again, Loki!" Grinning, he complied, thrusting against that special spot over and over again.

Loki was finding it harder to control his movements, and bit Echo's shoulder to hold back from pounding into her. But then he heard her voice beside his ear; "Don't worry. I can take it. Give it to me, hard and fast. I need you."

Well, that was it. Capturing Echo's lips in another searing kiss, he allowed his hips to plunge faster and deeper into her, groaning as the pleasure overtook him. Echo's moans were becoming increasingly loud, and he could feel that he wasn't that far behind her.

Looking into her eyes, his hips moving erratically against hers now, he said huskily, "Come for me Echo. Scream my name. Tell me who's you are."

That deep voice, and those words were enough to pull Echo over the edge, and she came while crying out, "Loki!" Her walls clenched around him, and after a few more thrusts he came, filling her as he thrust deep inside her.

Taking a few steady breaths, Loki slowly pulled out of Echo before collapsing beside her. Sighing deeply, he pulled her close and placed a soft kiss against her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

She laughed softly, turning her head towards him before saying, "Wonderful...although I'm sure I'll be sore in the morning," she laughed.

Chuckling, he added, "Well, who was the one who asked for it hard and fast?"

"Oh shut it," she giggled, turning so her back was facing him. Undeterred, he waved his hand and the next moment he, Echo, and the sheets were clean again. Grabbing Echo by the waist, he pulled her back against him, draping an arm across her stomach.

Just as his eyes were closing, he heard her whisper, "I love you, Loki," while holding his hand in hers.

Unsure of what to say, he said nothing in hopes that she would fall asleep, and sighed in relief when he heard her breath even out.

He fell asleep soon after, wondering about his true feelings for Echo, knowing he would have to reply sometime.

* * *

**Phew! It's done. OK, well, I'm still super nervous, so just let me know how I did, and I will adjust accordingly. :) The next update will be on Saturday! Take care everyone!**

**- Ana :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's another chapter, as promised! I'm so sorry this is late, I was super busy today, and couldn't get to the computer until now. Thanks again for the excellent reviews, Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, and truelovealwaysprevails! And thanks to all those who've followed/favorited as well! :) On to the chapter!**

* * *

Loki shook his head rapidly, trying to reorient himself and fully wake up. Blinking hard, his vision finally focused and he gazed grimly at Steve across from him in the van.

Not ten minutes after they had sat down for breakfast, a call came in about the same gang they had been fighting the other day...but this time they were armed with extremely powerful weapons reminiscent of the battle of New York.

Confused, Loki and the others went to fight. Leaping out of the van, Loki took in the situation and his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. Surprise ran through his whole body, looking on as the men fired what looked like miniaturized Chitauri weapons.

Reacting quickly, Loki jumped into action. Firing off blasts from his scepter, he quickly incapacitated a group of men. Dodging shots from them, he grinned as he saw the men stumbled or even fell backwards from the force of their weapons.

"Amateurs," he heard muttered beside him, and looked at Tony as he fired off a few small missiles from his Iron Man suit. The blast brought a cloud of dust toward them, and Loki's sight was somewhat limited. However, he was able to knock the idiot who tried to attack him from behind to the ground, with a simple swipe of his scepter.

The dust cleared some more, and Loki noticed that although each Avenger was occupied, the majority of the men were around him. Frowning, he spun around, firing off shot after shot at the men circling him.

He nearly got all of them, but suddenly he heard someone cry out, "Watch out!" Turning around, he was amazed to see two men holding a bigger version of their new firearms, firing it as soon as he saw them. A huge ball of energy flew toward him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it completely.

Suddenly a blur ran up to him, and he was barely able to react before he was tackled to the ground, the energy sizzling as it flew above the two of them right after. Struggling immediately, he pushed the person off roughly, before realizing it was Echo.

Before he could say anything though, she got to her feet and leapt right back into the fight, sparing him only a wink in response. "Let's finish this." Loki grinned, running right behind her to join in the battle.

* * *

Once it was realized that they would not win, the gang members had fled, nearly all of them escaping. However, the Avengers managed to capture a few men to take in for interrogation.

In questioning, Loki and the others found out that their leader had been fraternizing with another stronger person – a mob boss they assumed. This man had given them their new weapons, and had promised them riches beyond their wildest dreams. Of course they would follow anything he told them.

However, the prisoners could not give them the name of the person, for they were never told. With further questions, that statement was proved true, and the Avengers left still confused as ever.

Loki was extremely puzzled by all this – _'Where had these mortals received their weapons...and why had they been targeting him particularly?'_ He had realized this during the fight, but especially after those men had fired at him with that impressive gun. If it hadn't been for Echo, that fight could have ended with him badly injured.

Looking up at the thought of Echo, he realized he hadn't really spoken to her since the fight. _'Well,' _he thought mischievously. _'I suppose it's time I thanked her for helping me today.'_

Stepping out of bed, clad in his usual black sweats and bare–chested, he concentrated and teleported to her room the next second. Opening his eyes, he laughed aloud at the look of surprise that was on Echo's face. Getting over the shock, she asked politely, "Yes? Was there anything you needed?"

Smirking at her tone, he walked towards the bed saying, "Ah, yes. I just wanted to say, thank you." Slipping into bed with her, he maneuvered himself to be looking down at her, before continuing, "I was unable to show my true gratitude earlier..." Ducking down to steal a quick kiss, he murmured against her lips, "...and now I have the chance."

He began to tug her shirt slowly upwards, but she stopped his wandering hands with a soft, "Loki, wait." He looked at her serious eyes, and nodded. "Why were those men after you? I know you can't have missed that. What would they want with you?"

Sighing, he settled on his side beside her, his cheek resting against his hand. "How much do you know about the Avengers, and what happened earlier?"

She shrugged, simply saying, "Only what I read from the files. And bits of pieces from the others' stories that they were willing to tell." Looking up at him, she asked softly, "Would you tell me your story? How the battle of New York started, and all that?"

Loki was hesitant, not wanting to speak on that subject, not because he didn't trust Echo but because it was still a fresh wound in his side. Then Echo whispered, "I'll tell you anything about me, if that makes it fair. I don't mind...I trust you."

Looking into her eyes, Loki silently agreed, and then thought about the question. He asked after a few seconds, "How were you able to cope while with the gang? You said you were treated like a weapon – how could you survive that environment?" Genuine concern sounds in his voice, and he watched as Echo breathed deeply before starting.

"I got low many times; I can't count the number of times I tried to kill myself with both hands. After the second time, they set up guards to watch me 24/7, to make sure I never succeeded when I tried again."

"Then... I met Joaquin," Echo said, a small smile crossing her face. "An older man who I always counted as a father since my actual one was such a bastard. He's probably a little younger than Tony, and he was my beacon of hope. He helped me stay optimistic, even after the serum had been created to make me lose control of my powers. Without him, I would have found a way to kill herself, even with all the guards, and whatnot."

Echo had slightly moist eyes, but with a rough wipe the tears were gone. She let out a deep sigh, running her thumb over Loki's hand that was lying between them. Loki, having remained silent the entire time, realized that if it were not for Joaquin he would not be lying next to Echo at this moment. Grabbing her face gently, he captured her lips in a deep kiss until he had to stop for air.

Holding her gently against his chest, Loki closed his eyes and began his story. "I had always been second best, with Thor being the golden child. It was much later when I found out that I was not even Asgardian, but a Frost Giant, the monster that parents told their children about to behave."

Pushing that memory aside, he took a steadying breath and continued, "That, as you can imagine, crushed me, but my _father_ so conveniently went into a deep sleep, leaving all my questions unanswered. Without the proper guidance and explanation, I admit my actions had been rash, but with youth came mistakes."

He unknowingly tenses when he describes how it had been when he had fallen off the Bifrost, and then landing with the Chitauri who had used his broken spirit to their advantage. "Enveloped by the darkness, I felt as if I was suffocating, although I could hear the air whistling in my ears as I fell, the wind buffeting my clothes and body."

Echo, who was still within the tight embrace of his arms, rubbed a hand slowly up and down his back until his muscles relaxed again. She kissed the bottom of his neck softly, but did not utter one word as he continued his story.

"After what seemed like an eternity, I crashed into the land of the Chitauri, and seeing as I was no real threat in my state, decided to use me for their own purposes. As I was easily overtaken, I was quickly put under the trance of the Tesseract, and Thanos and the Chitauri now had their own personal slave to do their dirty work." He had gone on a rampage on Earth, following Thanos' orders, and the rest...was history.

Releasing a shuddering breath, Loki opened his eyes as Echo shifted in his arms, moving so that he could hear her. "You are extremely strong, for going through all that and still being the man that you are today." Loki listened carefully, barely breathing to hear every word Echo said.

"I understand the pain that you felt, and I am _so proud _of you for being able to turn your life around and start anew with the Avengers. Not many people could do that."

Loki grinned, his chin resting against the top of Echo's head, and whispered, "Well, I am a _God_, don't forget." He laughed as she swatted his chest gently, murmuring something about being serious.

They laid in comfortable silence, Echo still rubbing his back slowly, Loki with his eyes closed and unconsciously holding Echo tighter after her words. "Loki," she started, and his eyes slowly opened although he didn't move otherwise. "Would you...show me..your Jotun form?"

He stiffened, but she continued on, "If you're not comfortable with it, then that's fine. I don't want to pressure you." She became quiet again, and he laid in thought for a few minutes. As he went through how many times Echo had had her power stripped out of her control, bare and vulnerable in front of them all, he made a decision.

"It'll be cold," he warned, pushing her back to arms length before returning his hands to his sides and concentrating. Keeping his eyes on her the entire time, he removed his disguise and watched her every movement, every reaction.

Echo was entranced, watching as his smooth pale skin slowly changed into a deep blue, small ridges appearing across his skin. She also felt how the area around them became cooler almost instantly, but did not mind it much.

Scooting closer slightly, ignoring his annoyed 'tsk' at her action, she raised her hand slowly. Running her fingers across the marks on his chest, she followed the patterns up his neck to his jaw.

Keeping her eyes on her fingers, she traced across his cheek, before raising her gaze to meet his deep red eyes. Swallowing, she said softly, "You're beautiful," and smiled back at him as he huffed in surprise, his lips breaking into a small grin.

Clasping his hand in hers, she looked at each finger and palm, transfixed by the color and the chill that escaped his body. He had always been cooler, as she had always been warmer than most, but even in this form the chill does not quite reach her bones, nor make her shiver.

She kissed his palm, then edged even closer to him, ignoring his protest again, and looked straight in his eyes. "I want you to take me like this."

Loki chuckled, lust coloring his eyes, but said regretfully, "I don't want to hurt you or cause you any discomfort." She just laughed and said he forgot her power.

He raised an amused eyebrow as she lifted a hand and placed it on his chest softly. Then he became aware that her already warm palm was becoming increasingly hotter. At a certain point, when the heat emanating from her is strong but not uncomfortably so, she asked, "Am I hurting you?" but he simply shook his head.

Grinning, she said victoriously, "Well neither are you to me. Now you can touch me and I'll be fine."

Rolling his eyes at her determination, he blew caution to the wind, and pulled her towards him to crash their lips together in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Later on, when they were finally sated, Loki chuckled, "We should...do that again."

Echo just giggled, "Told you it'd be fine," burrowing closer into his side, and Loki laughed softly before falling asleep with his arm still around Echo.

* * *

A young man sat in the dark room, shaking visibly as his eyes looked into nothing, in some sort of trance. A voice suddenly resounded within the room, startling him, and he looked around frantically for the one speaking.

Not seeing anyone, he became even more panicked when he realized that it was just inside his head. "You failed me, you miserable mortal. I gave you one simple job, and enough firepower to complete it. Why didn't you succeed?"

The young man tried to reason with his boss, but suddenly an excruciating pain began in his head, and he clutched it while screaming in pain. Falling to his knees, he choked out, "Please! It wasn't their fault – my men almost had Loki, I swear! We tried to shoot him with what you gave us, but then that girl got in the way!"

Giving another yell as the pain increased, he shouted, "She was always trouble, even when she was with me! She pushed him out of the way, otherwise we could have had him!"

The voice thundered inside his head, making the pain seem even more severe, "I will accept no excuses! I gave you an order, and you simply messed u–" Suddenly it stopped talking, and then the pain stopped as well.

Breathing in relief, the young man heard his boss ask, "Who is this girl you speak of? She willing put herself in danger to save him?" There was a moment of silence, and the young man was able to connect the dots as well. "Ah, I see you understand as well. You will use this to your advantage. Use the girl to draw him out, and I promise that you will be greatly rewarded in return."

The young man rose to his feet, nodding, before remembering that he could not be seen. With revenge on his mind and greed in his heart, he said steadily, "Oh, you can count on me. I will get you your God, and if I get to get rid of the girl during the process, so be it." An evil grin on his face, he growled, "It'll be my pleasure."

* * *

**OK, so I've introduced the main villain kind of (although I'm sure you all have guessed who it is, lol). Oh, well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways, and I will be updating on Wednesday, (I promise, earlier than today!) :P Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**All right guys, I'm back, (and updating before midnight this time, hehe.) My big thanks go to Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, and truelovealwaysprevails for their great reviews that never fail to make me smile the mornings after I update. :D And thank you to all those who've followed and favorited! I'm glad you all are enjoying the story! I hope this is to your liking as well! :)**

* * *

Loki woke up to someone shifting beside him, and opened his eyes to see Echo on her stomach, her face turned away from him, her head lying on her arms. Idly rubbing his eyes, he took in her still naked form, the morning light creating shadows over her body.

The sheets were pulled down to her waist, and as he listened to her soft breathing, Loki slowly began tracing patterns across her back. She shivered involuntarily, and a grin slowly appeared on Loki's face as he continued to place soft touches to her skin.

Running a few fingers along her side, he chuckled softly as her skin twitched underneath them, and she shifted away from him slightly. Undeterred, he lifted himself up and placed a kiss on the back of her shoulder.

Continuing upwards to her neck, he smiled against her skin as she murmured, "Loki...stop it." In response, he nipped slightly at a bruise he had left the last night, grinning as she hissed softly at the sensation.

Moving down, he left feather-light kisses along her spine, nipping and licking now and then to elicit another groan from Echo. He placed his hands on the sheets at her waist to move them further down her body, but she muttered something and he rose up again. "What was that my dear?"

"—is too early, go back to bed," was what he heard, causing another naughty grin to expand across his face.

He grabbed her sides without warning, and rolled them over so that he was laying on his back on the bed, her back pressed against his chest. "Oh, I don't think I could sleep now," he whispered into her ear, shamelessly groping her front. "Not with you responding so deliciously, and," he paused to grind up against her behind, knowing she felt him when she moaned. "Not when I have this _problem_ to tend to."

She laughed softly; "Insatiable bastard," before turning her head to crash their lips together. He eagerly deepened the kiss, shoving his tongue into her mouth to taste as much of as he could.

Rolling them over slowly so that he was leaning over her, one hand wandered down until his fingers found what they were looking for, and Loki broke the kiss to grin down at Echo's red face.

"So, what was that about 'too early'?" He chuckled, slowly sifting his fingers in and out of her already wet heat.

Blushing madly, she said quickly, "Oh shut up and take me."

Loki didn't need to be told twice. Once he felt Echo was ready, he positioned himself and slowly pushed into her, groaning as his cock was enveloped by her warmth.

He thrust steadily into her, her moans only spurring him on as they neared their climax. Then Echo wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting his thrusts and pushing him deeper inside her.

The new depth and angle was too much for her and she came with a cry, calling out his name. After a few more thrusts, her muscles clenching down on him, Loki rode Echo through his climax, the pleasure coursing through him.

Pulling out of her gently, he flopped down beside her, leaving a sloppy kiss on her lips as he got back his breath. He heard her laugh, and then Echo said, "Are you sated now, _darling_?"

He chuckled, before pulling her close for another kiss, murmuring against her lips, "At least for now, _dear_." She hit him lightly in the chest as he laughed, before wrapping her arms around his neck and claiming his lips once again.

* * *

"I hate these _parties_ that we have to go to. Everyone stares at me as if I'm about to spontaneously combust," he grumbled to Echo beside him.

She just patted his arm, and whispered back, "Or it may be because you look so devilishly handsome in that suit. Look at it positively!"

She smiled up at him, and he had to grin back at her attempt to lighten the mood. At least with her around, the gathering might be more enjoyable than the past ones.

The morning had passed without any action, until Fury notified them that there was another fundraiser that night, and the Avengers had to keep up appearances. No-one had wanted to really go, least of all Loki. Even after a year of fighting beside the Avengers, Loki was still treated with caution and fear sometimes.

Although he had been mostly accepted by the people, there were still those few who wanted to try their luck against him. Of course there was nothing Loki could do to defend himself, for he couldn't hurt the mortals especially now that he was a part of the Avengers, but thankfully the situations were dealt with before they escalated too far.

Needless to say, he was not excited in the least for this gathering. However, with Echo there, he hoped that nothing would go wrong this time. Echo made it fun for him, and he actually began enjoying himself laughing with her.

Soon people walked over to them, and he was amazed to be able to speak with those few civilized people who had gotten over their fear of him, and who had seen the changes in him since the battle of New York. Echo walked away to go get something to drink, and Loki smiled at her before turning back to the conversation.

Just then Loki got an uneasy feeling, and then someone else patted him on the back, saying, "Loki, just the man I wanted to meet." He turned around and it was just another few men wanting to talk to him, probably more interviewers.

Loki shook their hands to remain polite, but when he shook the second man's hand, he felt a prick in his palm, and a familiar feeling set into him. _'What– what is this? It can't be?!_' Trying to fight the power, he grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, demanding, "What have you done?"

Blinking heavily, Loki was dimly aware of people shouting around him, and then the darkness set in and he was completely overtaken by the power.

* * *

Turning around as people started screaming across the room, Echo caught Clint's eyes and they ran through the crowd towards the fight. Suddenly dozens of men ran out, armed again with the mini energy guns, and Echo had to skid to a stop to avoid getting hit by a blast.

Kicking off her heels to move better, Echo summoned her fire and quickly incapacitated a large group by firing quickly at them. The civilians had been mostly evacuated by then, and as Echo saw Loki, she sighed in relief, calling out to him.

The moment he turned, she knew something was wrong. His stance was different, the way he was brandishing his scepter was off, and as she caught his gaze, her heart sunk to see his green eyes replaced by the glowing blue once again.

"Loki, please, snap out of it!" She yelled, but to no avail. Dodging punches and blasts from Loki, she called out to the others, "How do I get him out of it? What did you do last time?" She didn't want to hurt him, but if that's what it took...

"Cognitive recalibration," Natasha called out as she easily brought a gang member down with a quick punch to the head. Echo's exasperated face led Clint to follow up with, "Hit him really hard in the head."

"Well, I can't really _reach_ his head, now can I?" as she ducked under another fist, gesturing to the nearly one foot difference in their height.

"I'll help you with that." Before Tony got to Loki though, Loki blasted off another shot from his scepter and caught Echo in the side of her arm.

She just gritted her teeth against the pain, and when Tony forced Loki to bend over, she whispered, "Sorry Loki," before jumping up and bringing her foot down on the back of his head.

He immediately stopped struggling, and only Tony's hands still on him kept him from falling to the ground. Echo looked at him sadly, wondering what had happened to make him relapse like that.

Echo and the others cleaned up the area, helped calm the civilians down, and then headed back to the Tower, still confused and worried as ever, all needing answers.

* * *

The young man was in that same room again, although he seemed more composed than last time, more resigned to his fate.

When the voice began speaking again, clearly annoyed, the young man was not fazed at all. "We tried our best, but when the formula we had gotten from our spies in SHIELD did not work, it wasn't _our_ fault."

The voice bellowed, "You were supposed to bring Loki back here after converting him again, not continue to fight with that gang of heroes." Finally the young man reacted at the raise of his voice, wincing slightly. "If you are only interested in revenge against that girl, then I have no further use for you."

The young man began to panic again, feeling a strange pain in his chest as if his heart had skipped a beat, then placed a hand on his chest as it lurched again. Choking when he couldn't gather enough breath, he begged for another chance. "I can still bring the God to you if I just had one more chance."

"My men know how to use the weapons now, and we were able to make a gas out of the serum and other chemicals to subdue the Avengers quicker next time. Next time will be different! Please!"

There was a silence, only broken by the gasps and pants of the young man leaning against the wall, and then the voice spoke again. "If this gas of yours does not work, then there will be no further chances. I will kill you and move on, is that clear?"

The young man only sighed in relief as his heart beat returned to normal. "Transparently."

* * *

Once at the Tower, Loki was placed in his room until he awoke again by himself. Echo lay in her room, feeling guilty about knocking Loki out like that, but then felt her arm and grinned as she thought of how guilty she could make him feel about her own injury.

She looked at her clock, and as it was 1:13AM, she assumed that the others were all in their own rooms or out by now, and snuck out of her room.

Knocking on Loki's door quietly, she waited for a few seconds, but then whispered, "JARVIS, can you unlock his room for me...and don't tell the others where I am," she added as an afterthought.

She walked in slowly, getting used to the darkness, until her knees hit the edge of his bed and she blinked, taking in his form. He was still sleeping, from what she can tell, his face one of complete peace, his chest rising slowly before exhaling again.

Grinning as she walked over, Echo brushed back some hair from his face before placing a soft kiss on his forehead. Cupping his face gently, she ran her thumb over his cheek, whispering, "What happened today Loki? You scared me, you know?" Sighing deeply, she muttered, "You're going to have to hold me back when we find out which bastards were in charge of this attack tonight. No one hurts my God, and gets away with it."

Then, just as she was about to walk around to the other side of the bed, two strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her up and over until she fell with a flop against the bed beside Loki.

Reorienting herself, she looked up at Loki's purely mischievous grin, smugness radiating off him in waves at having surprised her like that.

"You – you – how much did you hear?" She asked, deeply flustered and blushing madly at the thought of being caught like that.

Loki only laughed and brought her close for a kiss, only stopping when she hissed slightly as her arm brushed against the bed. Concern flooding his eyes, he asked softly, "Was that my doing?"

Echo nodded, but quickly said, "But it's ok. It doesn't hurt that much, and I know you didn't mean to. Don't worry."

He chuckled, "It's only fair, I suppose...you did kick me in the head." She just laughed, shaking her head at his statement.

Echo sighed contentedly as he pulled her against him, his breathing lulling her into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**Okey dokey, another chapter done! Let me know how you liked it, or what I should change to make it better! I'll be updating on Sunday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Oh my gosh, thank you so much my wonderful faithful readers – Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, truelovealwaysprevails, mrschultz, and iamdelilah – for your great reviews. This time around they were **_**especially**_** uplifting, since I've been such a worrywart about writing a good chapter, and RL has been a bit frustrating as well. And big thanks to those of you who've followed/favorited! It means a lot! :)  
OK, enough sentimentality. ;D Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Loki was falling, the darkness oppressive and stifling, making it hard for him to breath properly. His eyes were wide open, staring around frantically as he tried to figure out where he was.

Flailing his arms, he managed to level himself in a horizontal position and attempted to calm his breathing. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to reign in his terror.

No matter where he looked, it was never-ending pitch black space, and he soon closed his eyes again. The wind roared in his ears, whistling as he fell.

For a while his mind was blank, successfully keeping his panic at bay. He concentrated on his breathing, tuning the howl of the wind out slowly until it was a dull hum in the background.

'_Here I am again. Falling, rejected...alone,'_ he thought, giving a soft sigh with the little breath he had.

A harsh voice resounded in his head, hissing, "Cast out – defeated!"

"I was a king, the rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed!"

'_I was no king,' _Loki thought, wincing as the memories returned unbidden. '_Just a misunderstood Prince, always second best.'_

"Your ambition is little, born of childish need," the Other repeated, but Loki only scoffed wearily.

'_Is it childish to want to belong? To be needed or cared about?' _Loki shook his head, trying to keep the memories locked away. But now that his thoughts had started, there was no stopping them.

"If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you." Suddenly a bright light surrounded him, and no matter how tightly he shut his eyes, it was useless.

Having been accustomed to the darkness, the light was painful as it seared his eyes even behind his clenched eyelids. He became aware of a soft pounding, and then realized with a jolt that it was his heartbeat steadily becoming faster.

'_No, remain calm. I am not...afraid.' _Loki swallowed, feeling the fear he had been fighting becoming stronger._ 'There is no need to panic. It is just a dream. Breathe.' _However, even as he tried to regain the peaceful state of meditation he had had, he knew it was no use.

If it was possible, the light seemed to increase in brightness and then Loki felt himself jerked downwards. With a loud pop in his ears Loki landed on the ground, his knees nearly buckling beneath him.

Opening his eyes, he took in the scene he had landed in. It was another of his memories, the battle of New York to be exact, and he found himself in the Tower, exchanging quips and insults with none other than Tony Stark.

"Uh, actually, I'm planning on threatening you," he replied, and Loki couldn't help but admire the bravery he showed. But then he jerked slightly as he felt Thanos' power course through him, reminding him that he was merely a puppet in this scheme.

'_Get rid of this mortal. Without his armor, it will take mere seconds,'_ Thanos told him. Loki grinned, looking at his scepter as he imagined how easily he could slit the man's throat before he could even blink. _'The portal is almost ready to be opened, and my forces will be free to –'_

"No drink, you sure? I'm having one," Tony continued, turning Loki's attention back on him.

'_You mustn't be distracted when the attack starts!' _Thanos growled, and Loki turned away to hide his expression from the mortal as a dull pain began in his head. '_You will lead my army to victory, or suffer the consequences.' _

"The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that," Loki stated, a bit of regret leaking into his voice. The pain increased slightly, and he stood straighter as the mind control tightened its hold on him.

Turning back, he asked Tony, "What have I to fear?" _'From you,' _Loki added to himself. _'If I fail...he _will_ find me.'_

The memory suddenly distorted, Tony's voice becoming garbled as the picture became fuzzy and unclear. The throbbing spiked, and for a moment everything was black as he struggled to fight the pain.

Breathing hard through his nose, he opened his eyes and gave a start as he saw Echo in front of him. Her hands were aflame, but her eyes were full of worry as she looked up at him.

Confused, he tried to speak, but then noticed that his arm was rising and he watched in horror as he shot off a blast at her. She quickly dodged it, much to his relief, and Loki recognized the oppressive feeling of the mind control.

Looking around, he realized that it was the memory from the party the other day. Through his peripheral vision he saw Echo lunge toward him, but he easily ducked away and threw a punch at her face.

Watching her closely, he saw the worry, fear and anger in her face as she yelled at the others for help. Although he knew this was a dream, he could still feel the heavy power of the mind control. Trying to fight it was futile, so he decided to let the memory play out.

Against his will, he lifted his scepter again and fired the shot that would graze Echo's arm. However, his eyes widened in terror as it came to hit her in the shoulder, making her stumble backwards.

Moving forward, he blasted her again, this time hitting her in the stomach. She gave a cry as she fell on her back, and he stalked forward to stand over her. He looked down at her, taking in the wide fearful eyes, and lifted the scepter to point at her forehead.

'_This is all wrong,'_ he thought, desperately attempting to regain control of himself. He felt the scepter begin to power up, and he watched as the glow reflected off of her eyes.

It happened as if in slow motion – his arm jerking backwards as he fired the blast, the ball of energy gliding out of the scepter, and he screamed in horror as it flew steadily towards Echo.

"NO!"

* * *

Loki awoke with a jolt, panting heavily as his heart pounded in his chest. Trembling, the adrenaline and fear from the nightmare still strong, he closed his eyes and attempted to calm down.

Then he became aware of a soft voice above him, small arms around him, and a warm hand rubbing his back gently. Breathing deeply, he concentrated and began to distinguish the words within the whispers.

"Shh, it's all right. You're ok Loki. It was only a nightmare, shh." She was holding him firmly, leaving chaste kisses on the top of his head between whispers. Loki focused on the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, his head held against her chest gently. "You're safe now. Just breathe, you'll be fine."

He wasn't sure if she was aware that he was awake, but at that moment he didn't care. The panic that had gripped him throughout the nightmare was slowly ebbing away, and he managed to return his heartbeat to a steady rate.

Echo began threading her fingers through his hair, and he sighed as the tension left his body. "You're a strong man, you can get through this. You're _my_ tough Prince." She kissed his forehead softly again, and he leaned instinctively into her touch.

"You've been through so much – pain I can't even imagine, troubles that should've broken you...but they didn't. You were able to pull through, so I know that you can get over this. Maybe not right away, but don't worry. We're here to help you. _I'm_ here for you."

As Echo spoke, Loki felt a great weight lift off his chest, one that had been there since failing Thanos. Loki knew that he would eventually be found, but hearing Echo's words made a bit of the desolation leave him.

Maybe, he wouldn't surrender so easily. Thanos could come with all his might, but Loki now felt that with his newfound confidence, he would make it a hell of a battle for Thanos. Loki would make him realize that his once-puppet was no longer a lost creature seeking acceptance, but a strong master of his own will.

Sighing deeply, it was with a much lighter heart that Loki allowed himself to relax, the continued caresses and kisses from Echo lulling him back to sleep.

* * *

"All right! And...begin!" Loki rolled his eyes at Tony's obvious enthusiasm, although he did feel a bit of excitement as he looked over at Echo and Natasha.

Since they had a bit of spare time that afternoon, Natasha had asked Echo if she was still up to having a match with her. Echo had readily agreed, and thus the 'EPIC BATTLE TO THE DEATH', as the other men had christened it, was planned.

Loki and the others were leaning against the wall of the gym, staying off of the mats on which Natasha and Echo were now circling each other. Taking in both concentrated expressions, Loki's eyes flickered between theirs to see who would make the first move.

The question was answered when Echo lunged forward with a yell. Her arm chopped through the air, aimed at the junction between Natasha's neck and shoulder, with great speed.

Natasha sidestepped out of the way, and brought her fist out toward Echo's stomach. Hopping backwards, the tight fist only brushed against Echo's middle, and she regained her defensive stance immediately.

Natasha jumped suddenly, bringing her leg down viciously to try and knock Echo down. As she didn't have time to dive away, Echo crossed her arms and caught Natasha's kick against them, crouching to lessen the blow.

Steve and Clint gave low whistles, impressed by the show of strength, and Loki grinned at Echo's smug expression. He watched as she pushed Natasha's leg away before spinning around to deliver a kick of her own.

Natasha back-flipped away, but then Echo's foot caught the edge of her own, making her landing a bit wobbly. Echo immediately used that to her advantage, and her hand sliced through the air towards Natasha's arm.

Natasha quickly blocked it and the following blows, before crouching suddenly, causing Echo to stumble. Natasha brought her foot out in a half circle, swiping Echo's feet out from under her.

Echo fell with a small exclamation, and Natasha smiled victoriously. However, before Natasha could take one step Echo did a kick-up to get to her feet quickly, and jumped back into action immediately.

As he watched Echo and Natasha fighting, he noticed that although they were breathing hard and sweating, they both had smiles on their faces. Looking at Echo's elated expression, Loki was reminded of when he had woken up that morning, still in her arms.

_Loki opened his eyes slowly, the nightmare at the back of his mind at this point, and was greeted with an expanse of dark red. Blinking, he took in his surroundings and realized that he was still within Echo's arms, the red being the color of her tank top._

_Lifting his head slightly, he saw that her eyes were still closed, and laid his cheek back against her chest with a soft sigh. Tilting his head upwards, he nuzzled her neck with his nose, inhaling her sweet smell. He heard a soft giggle, then a soft, "That tickles."_

_Wriggling out of her embrace, he made his way up until he was facing Echo, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. The smile that was spread across her face as he moved away was breathtaking, and he couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you," he whispered, claiming her full lips in a kiss. "For last night."_

_She only shook her head, saying, "It's only what you did for me. There's no thanks needed." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him towards her and he eagerly met her lips in a heated kiss._

Afterwards, they had lain in bed exchanging soft caresses and passionate kisses. Then Steve had knocked on the door, telling him that they were required to go to SHIELD later on for debriefing.

As Echo struggled to hold in laughter, since neither Steve nor the others knew she was in there, Loki had answered back, before teleporting Echo back to her room.

A cry snapped Loki out of his thoughts, and he looked over at the two women fighting with renewed interest. It looked as though Echo had the upper hand, lashing out quickly with her fists which Natasha seemed to have a bit of trouble blocking.

But then, with a rapid kick into Echo's stomach, pushing her onto the floor, Natasha pounced for the finished blow. Spinning around, the next moment she had her foot pressed slightly on Echo's neck, and grinning in victory.

Echo smiled, saying, "I surrender," after which Natasha stepped away and helped Echo to her feet. Tony, Clint, and Thor were cheering loudly at Natasha's victory – _'For of course they wanted to bet against the fight,'_ Loki thought grimly, frowning as he handed Thor his winnings.

"Great job. I definitely had to hold my own quite a few times – you've really benefited from your training," Natasha praised Echo, who just blushed and muttered a quick thank you.

Loki watched as she became embarrassed, and when she caught his gaze, winked at her. He had to hold in his laughter as the gesture caused her to blush even more.

Just then a call came in, and Fury ordered them to go to the SHIELD headquarters to be debriefed on the past night.

* * *

"What the hell happened last night? One minute everything was peaceful, and then the next there are armed men running around creating chaos. Not to mention your little relapse into the mad God," Fury barked, pointing his finger at Loki.

Loki glared back at him, stating, "As before, I was put under control unwillingly. I do not know how these men were able to do it, but it happened anyways." Glancing at Echo briefly, a grin playing on his lips, he added, "Thankfully my teammates were able to, eh, 'knock me out of it,' so to speak."

Echo bit her lip, while Clint and Steve chuckled at his statement. However, after Loki spoke, a strange look went across Fury's face. The guilty expression did not go unnoticed by the others either.

"What are you hiding now, Fury? You know your secrets only end up backfiring," Tony asked, crossing his arms as he fixed Fury with a critical stare.

Loki leaned forward against the table as Fury sighed. "We were working on creating a serum capable of controlling others like the Tesseract did. We thought that if we had that power, we could take our prisoners and make spies out of them to gather more information on our enemies."

Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing, and from what he could gather from the others' reactions, neither could his teammates. Tony gave an exasperated sound, throwing his arms up into the air, while Steve's eyebrows furrowed before asking, "Didn't you learn anything from the Hydra weapons? You shouldn't mess around with stuff like this."

"How were those gang members able to get their hands on the serum? They're just ordinary guys – isn't SHIELD supposed to be impenetrable?" Clint asked, and Loki nodded in agreement, curious to hear Fury's excuse.

"Right now, we do not know how the gang could have gotten a hold of it, but an investigation is being held right now to try and figure it out." The guilty expression was gone from Fury's face, the authoritative front back in place as he spoke of the thieves.

"There is no room for traitors in this organization, and the crooks will be dealt with accordingly. You are to keep your eyes on the lookout for any other strange behavior, but for now you are dismissed." Fury walked out of the room, allowing Loki and the others to breathe again, but leaving many unanswered questions in his wake.

* * *

"How do you think those men might have infiltrated SHIELD? And what else might they have gotten?" Echo asked Loki, concern thick in her voice.

"I do not know, but I hope for all our sakes they did not make off with much else," Loki answered, thinking of how many of their secrets were filed away within SHIELD.

Loki and the others were back in the Tower, and all had gone their separate ways for the evening. Tony and Bruce were holed up in one of their labs, probably trying to hack into SHIELD's databases to see what else they were up to.

Steve had called Bucky to come over, and they were down the hallway in another room watching a movie. Clint, Natasha and Thor were in the kitchen, talking about what had happened and what they had discovered about SHIELD.

Loki was currently sitting on the couch in the main living room, his arm curled around Echo as they watched a movie together. However, with the realization that SHIELD may not be as safe as they thought, the topic was brought up before long.

"There has to be someone else leading them. The idiots that were in charge before I 'left' could never have pulled off something like this. But I haven't the slightest clue on who it could be," Echo growled, clearly frustrated at not knowing.

Loki chuckled at her irritation, and kissed the top of her head. "Now, now. Getting upset will not help," he teased, grinning at her huff of annoyance.

"I know, I'm just worried is all," she admitted in a small voice.

Loki's grin left his face, and he tightened his grip around her shoulders. "Everything will be fine. I promise," he added cheekily.

She laughed softly, "Oh, really?" He only chuckled in response, and she cuddled further into his side, sighing happily, "Love you."

Loki immediately froze, still unsure of what to do, and closed his eyes as Echo tensed within his arm. Turning slowly toward him, she looked at him with confused and worried eyes.

He sighed, and rubbing the back of his head, said, "I care for you, I do...but to call it love?" Loki knew that was the wrong thing to say, as her eyes instantly widened and she twitched away from his touch.

She stood up quickly, looking down at him with an unreadable expression. "Oh, you _care_ for me? Am I just another lover for you, oh mighty god?" She exclaimed, a bit of anger leaking into her voice.

Loki stood with her, saying, "I _do_. If you would just let me explain." At her expectant face, he groaned in annoyance, "It's complicated, I need to gather my thoughts."

"What's so complicated about it?" She questioned harshly. As Loki looked at her, unable to answer, her face fell, and she looked back at him with a sad expression that nearly kills him if he weren't so upset.

"I gave myself to you. Did what we did mean anything to you? Or was it just a game for you? And I was just another prize to be claimed." Loki became angry at her statement, mistaking her questions as assumptions about him.

The stress becoming too much for him – first from being forced back under the control of the Tesseract, then the discovery that SHIELD was corrupted, and now from this – and Loki yelled back at her harshly, "Well, I wasn't the one who_ ogled_ me since she first saw me. You practically threw yourself at me, what was I supposed to do? I pitied you, that's what I did! Apparently it was a mistake," he hissed, his anger getting the better of him.

Gasps erupted, not only from an open-mouthed Echo in front of him, but from behind him as well. Loki whipped around in surprise to see the others standing in the doorway, apparently having heard their raised voices and gone to investigate.

Before he could say anything to them, his mouth agape, he heard a choked sob. Turning slowly back around, he saw Echo standing there with angry tear-filled eyes.

He made to take a step forward, but she beat him to it. As she stalked forward angrily, he noticed her left hand was red with heat, before it slapped him hard in the cheek.

Letting the tears flow now, she ran out the doorway, given space by the others, and he heard her sobbing as she ran down the hallway.

Stumbling back from the force of the slap, he could practically feel the glares digging into his back, and turned slowly towards the others with as much dignity as he could muster. They are all looking at him with shame – Tony, Steve, Thor and Clint with anger; and Bruce, Natasha, and Bucky with sadness and disapproval.

Sighing deeply, he walked toward them, wanting to walk out, but they do not move. "Where do you think you're going?"

Loki winced at Steve's furious voice, before looking at him and saying, "Where do you think? I'm going after Echo."

Bruce sighed, his eyes flickering dangerously as he looked at Loki, and Loki felt a twinge of fear go through him. Staying calm, Bruce said, "That won't do anything to help...at least not right now. You were both pretty upset."

"I'll go find her. In her state, she could cause harm to herself and others if her power gets out of control," Clint said, making his way towards the door. The others mumbled their agreements, and he walked away, but not before looking back at Loki one last time, shaking his head angrily.

Loki's guilt was increased as Natasha said, "You should use this time to think about what you said. She really loves you. And if you thought you could just have your way with her, just because you're a Norse God, and then ignore her, then you have another thing coming."

Loki was about to lash out, saying, "That wasn't what I was doing, I just –" but Thor's deep voice stopped him.

"Brother." Loki switched his gaze from Natasha to Thor, and took in the sad expression that was on his brothers' face. "Do not continue to argue. We will resolve this when our friend the archer returns with Echo."

Loki turned away from them, annoyed with their reactions, but also annoyed with himself at how he had exploded so quickly. Tony, Bruce and Natasha move to sit in the kitchen, while Steve, Bucky and Thor sit on the couch, worrying about Echo, talking in hushed voices.

Loki went to stand by the huge wall-sized window, and looked out, as if searching for Echo in the crowds below him. Catching sight of his reflection, he noticed that his cheek was still slightly red and sighed deeply, rubbing it softly.

Leaning his forehead against the cool glass, he closed his eyes to gather his frenzied thoughts. Rerunning the whole argument through his mind, Loki winced as he realized how harsh his words sounded, especially to Echo.

Clenching his fists, he wished fervently that he had never said those words. _'The truth is, Echo,'_ he sighed. _'I had been so afraid that your words were hollow.'_

Having been hurt himself so many times before, Loki had forgotten what it was like to really love someone and trust another completely.

Opening his eyes, he stared out the window, deep in thought. _Hoping_ that he would be able to apologize to the one who had finally loved him back, but who he had hurt before he realized this.

* * *

**OK, so, I'm really happy with how this came out, but maybe that's just because I wrote it, hehe. ;D And don't worry about critiquing it if you don't think so - I won't take offense. :) I worked longer and harder on it, so...I don't know, it's definitely different from the others – hopefully for the better? Let me know! :D  
Next chapter will be up on Thursday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank as always to Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, truelovealwaysprevails, and DoctorLokiLove for their terrific reviews! And big thanks to those who've followed/favorited my story too! You all make my day that much better. :)**

**OK, as promised, the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

The air was tense, almost suffocating everyone who was unlucky enough to be in the vicinity. Footsteps echoed down the empty hallway, overlapping with sounds of men talking and arguing in the distance.

The young man walked briskly through the hall, blank brown eyes staring ahead of him. Due to all the stress he was under, he had developed a nervous tick, and his left eye and shoulder twitched every now and then.

After the first few men who had mentioned it were shot on the spot, the others had not bothered him about it again. Just because he was answering to another, did not mean that he had lost his power over the rest of them.

Sighing, he rubbed the side of his face wearily, running his hand through his messy brown hair as he struggled to gather his thoughts. It had been hectic these past few days, especially after that failed attempt to retrieve Loki yesterday, and he could swear his hair was growing grayer by the minute.

He _had_ been ecstatic that the serum had worked – although he had never really doubted it, due to the fact that SHIELD had created it. He grinned at how easily he had been able to infiltrate the company. Disguising his men as agents, they were then granted access to everything and _more_.

However, no matter how fool-proof he made his plans, something always had to go wrong. Shaking his head, he wondered for the hundredth time _why_ his men had continued to harass the civilians, when they were _supposed_ to capture Loki after placing him back under the control.

He had the greatest men under his control...and yet they failed to go through with the simplest of plans. Drug the God, lead him away, bring him back to headquarters. Why was it not fulfilled?

He winced as the memory of the past night came to mind. Of course, his boss had been absolutely furious, and it was only because of his new weapons to incapacitate the Avengers that he was still alive at this moment.

'_He's getting impatient. If I don't deliver Loki and the Avengers soon, he'll...'_ But he couldn't continue with that thought, shuddering at the images that were brought to mind. At his last 'encounter' with his boss, horrible images of himself being tortured had sped through his mind, only stopping when he had screamed himself hoarse.

He didn't know how his boss was doing all this – speaking to him in his mind, almost stopping his heart, bringing him to his knees with pain without even being in the room – but he knew better than to question whoever it was.

He was both interested to find out who had eagerly employed him, but at the same time he felt that he could definitely die a happy man without ever coming face-to-face with his newfound master.

But that wasn't important at the moment. If this next attempt was another failure, then he was sure he would be struck where he stood, without warning or mercy. Gulping, he turned around a corner, his feet moving faster instinctively as fear hit him, before ducking into a dark room.

Breathing deeply to calm himself, he straightened up and took in the state of the room. Tables and chairs were placed haphazardly around the room, computers and papers littered across them. The floors were a mess, cables strewn everywhere making for a rather treacherous walking area; and the entire place reeked of smoke from the cigarettes the men favored.

All along one wall were flat screens of various sizes, showing different areas of New York for them. They also had microphones connected to each camera, but those could be turned on or off depending on what was happening on the screen – otherwise the noise in that room would become _unbearable_.

It was near silence, only the buzzing of the numerous screens and the soft voices of some men breaking the quiet. The young man, once he regained his composure, strode over to one of the tables and stood beside one of his men.

Looking at the screens, he briefly glanced over the lot of them before staring intently at the ones surrounding the Avengers' Tower. They had a view of the front entrance, the back, and the alleys and streets surrounding it.

At the moment there was normal activity, but the man was determined not to fail this time around. "Keep a close eye out. If they evade us again, then you will not live to regret it," he said firmly, his chilly tone causing an involuntary shiver to go down the spines of the men around him.

Turning on his heel, he left the room swiftly and with his tough mask firmly back in place. Leaving the door to slam shut behind him, he walked down to monitor his men who were working on the gasses and serums.

Three of the walls were completely covered by shelves; one wall held the strange weapons that his boss had given them, while the others were filled with beakers, bottles and other containers of every shape and size.

There were a few tables scattered around the middle of the room, with enough space between them to move around easily. His scientists were crowded around them, each focusing on a different assignment.

He strolled into the room, ignoring the brief greetings he was given in favor of looking eagerly at how each project was progressing.

At one table his men were perfecting the serum they had used that past night on Loki. For all they knew it had worked fine, and it was only due to the stupidity of the men there that Loki had been able to escape again. However, they would rather be safe than sorry when attempting to take down an Avenger, not to mention a Norse God.

Once the serum was done, they were going to create tranquilizer darts out of them, to more easily place Loki or the others under their control. Shooting the darts from guns at a distance was more favorable to standing beside Loki and attempting to pierce his skin with an infected needle.

Pleased with their work, the young man walked over to the table where they were working on the gas. "Have you been making any progress?" _'Please, because we are running out of time,'_ he added to himself as he looked over the small smoke bombs that were spread out over the table.

"Actually yes, we have." His head shot up to stare at the man who had spoken. Pausing at suddenly being under the spotlight, the man took a breath and said, "Taking a typical gas used to knock someone unconscious, we tweaked it until we had a stronger version that would render even the two Gods unconscious."

"But how could you test it? We cannot go into a fight with weapons that may or may not work," the young man stated, although there was not as much bite behind his words as usual. Whereas his field men were sometimes unreliable, he could almost always trust his scientists to come through.

"Ah, yes. Since we can't go knocking on the Avengers' door to test out our experiments, we simply had our agents still in SHIELD dig up some information that could help us. And find something they did."

Turning his laptop that was at the edge of the table towards him, he pointed to the screen, saying, "SHIELD has file after file on each of the Avengers, which has proven most useful in creating these serums and gasses. We are nearly finished with a tranquilizer that will force that beast back into his human form, and we merely had to change the serum we had for Echo a little bit. Now instead of controlling her, the serum will neutralize and block her powers. And I assure you, these will work when the time comes."

The young man felt a grim smile form on his lips, and he nodded his thanks while saying, "It had better. There will no other chance to fix anything after this next attempt."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, the scientist bowed his head, scrolling through his computer to see if there was anything he had missed. Sparing one more glance around the room, he nodded, satisfied with their work, and left them in peace.

In another hallway, men were running back and forth between rooms, working on the more technological parts of the plan. More than half the rooms were filled with men working on the weapons that they had been provided by his boss, while the rest were focused on finding a way to infiltrate the Iron Man's armor.

The gasses that the scientists had made would not work on him, because of the mask that covered and protected his face. But find a way they would. With the prospect of victory so close at hand, the young man's body tingled with excitement.

'_I may actually pull this off. The man who took down the Avengers,'_ he thought with a wide grin on his face. Then he noticed a few of his men giving him a strange look as he passed them, and quickly placed the frown back on his face.

Just then a man ran up to him, panting as he came to a stop, and choked out, "Echo – she's on the move."

Interest immediately peaked, he asked curtly, "Alone? Or with someone else?"

"No, she was alone. It looked like she was crying, and she was just running through the streets," the man replied, standing up straight as his breath returned.

"Easy to pick off," the young man said softly. Grinning evilly, he ordered, "Take a team of about three dozen, each armed with either a tranquilizer to neutralize her powers, or to knock her out. Be sure to stay out of sight once you have her, and move quickly."

As the other man nodded curtly, before running off to fulfill the order, the young man said more to himself than the others, "The plan is now in motion...and it had better not fail this time around."

* * *

Echo ran down the street away from the Tower, ignoring the cries of outrage as she pushed past people, not paying attention to anyone or anything. Turning a corner, she continued running, away from the crowds, lights and noises.

Sobbing, she heard Loki's cruel words, his angry voice still ringing in her ears. The way his face had contorted, so full of rage, was a sight she would never forget. "You're such an – hic – idiot, Echo! What, did you think everything would be perfect right away?!"

She cursed herself for being so naïve, thinking that he was different from the others. But she had thought so, had _hoped_ that he would be different, since their pasts were so similar – '_But no, once again I was too stupid to realize it was too good to be true. Loki definitely proved that just now,'_ she thought angrily, wiping her tears away roughly.

Tripping on a patch of uneven sidewalk, she fell to the ground hard, bruising her knees and scraping up her hands. All the adrenaline that had propelled her through the streets left her, and she just lay on the ground, still shaking with sobs.

'_Oh, why Loki, why did you have to hurt me so?'_ She sniffled into her arm, not caring of what a mess she probably looked like. _'I'd never seen you so angry...is that how you truly feel? Pity? Oh, Loki.'_

"Loki..." she whimpered, a fresh wave of sobs wracking her body, and she placed her head on top of her arms to cry anew.

Echo didn't know how long she had lain there, but she eventually picked herself up, finally running out of tears. Brushing herself off gingerly, she winced as she wiped the dirt out of her scratched up palms.

Looking around, she realized she was in a deserted and ruined block. There were not many lights, only a few dim lamp posts scattered around, flickering in and out of life. The area she could see was covered with trash, and she was sure she saw a few beady eyes shine out at her from the shadows.

Shivering slightly, though not from cold, she focused as Bruce had told her and kept her energy ready as she began to walk toward the busy street she could see a few blocks down. Trying to remain calm, she breathed deeply, in through her nose, out through her mouth.

Then she heard something clatter from behind her, and whipped around to see a man dressed in her old gang clothes walking a distance behind her. As he was still a good distance away, she increased her speed slightly, straining to get to the busy street before he caught up.

Looking ahead of her again, she saw a few other men creep out of the shadows, all dressed in the clothes of her old gang. Not allowing her fear to show, she rolled her shoulders and wrists to relax her muscles a bit.

Gathering fire on her hands rapidly, she stopped to fight, when suddenly about 30 other men jumped out of the shadows and rushed her.

She moved quickly, taking out five men in one large torrent of flames. Ignoring their screams of pain, she concentrated on staying in control of her power. Punching one man in the nose with a heated fist, she spun around swiftly to blast another man away easily.

But then she felt a small poke in her back, and suddenly her fire was extinguished. Overcome with shock, she stared at her hands for a second. She clenched her fists, then opened them and repeated, completely confused. Panicking, she focused her energy, but she couldn't gather it no matter how hard she tried.

As she looked around her, she saw the men looking at her eagerly, probably wondering if the tranquilizer had worked. Judging from their gleeful faces, it had worked exactly as they had planned, and a small trickle of fear went down her spine.

Glancing over the group surrounding her, she noticed with a jolt her father figure Joaquin standing with them. Looking at him for help, she pleaded silently, but he just looked back at her sadly with a small shake of his head.

"Joaquin, please?" she whispered, but to no avail. The only response she received were the sneers of the other men, copying her in a high pitched whiny voice. Echo's heart broke a bit more, but she resolved not to let it show.

Straightening up, she assumed a defensive stance and waited. The men grinned evilly, and attacked her again. However, she still had her agility and speed, and it was a hard fight.

Swinging punches here, spinning around to kick there, Echo's strength was slowly depleting, and she knew she wouldn't last long if they kept it up like this.

'_Please, someone come help me.'_ She hadn't thought to bring her blue tooth ear bud, for she had been so distraught when she ran out that nothing much else was on her mind.

But soon the other effects of the tranquilizer set in and her movements slowed down, her eyes beginning to blur. She stumbled suddenly, and someone punched her in the face, knocking her to the side.

Echo whipped around, trying to focus on the one who had punched her, but they were all a black mass. Spinning around like that didn't help her dizziness, and she nearly fell to the ground.

Then she felt a shock of pain as she was stabbed in the right side just under her ribs, and let out a cry of pain. The man holding the knife wrapped his arm around her middle, pressing the weapon into her before removing it completely, releasing her as well.

Falling to the ground, gasping in pain, Echo held her side, trying to stop the bleeding. Due to the tranquilizer, however, her arms were too weak to press down hard enough, and she felt her warm blood leak over her fingers.

Through the haze of pain and dizziness, she heard Joaquin's strong voice shouting, "Hey, that's too far. Our orders were to subdue her, and take her back so that the God would follow her."

'_It's ok, Joaquin. Don't turn them against you,'_ she thought, straining to find Joaquin in the crowd around her. "It's ok," she said, although no one paid attention to her.

"Ah, we knew it was wrong to bring you; you wouldn't want to hurt your _little friend_," she heard a snotty voice call out, and she blinked rapidly to try and spot the one who had spoken.

Suddenly there was a brief scuffle around her, and to her horror she heard a gunshot rang off, hearing a thud as a body fell near her. Looking up, she screamed as she saw Joaquin on the ground, clutching his stomach, face contorted with pain.

"NO! Leave him alone!" She yelled as the man raised his gun once more. She could see him pause slightly, and she barely breathed, hoping that he would lower his gun.

Another 2 gunshots rang out, and her anger filled her body with strength. Using it before it ran out, Echo clambered to her feet and tackled the gunman. Pounding into his face with hard fists, she barely noticed the people shouting around her, until someone hit her in the back of the head, and everything went black.

* * *

**All righty, another longer chapter – hopefully not too bad or cluttered up as I think it is. Well, you know the drill, hehe. ;P If you could let me know how I did, and what I should change, that'd be great!**

Okey-dokey, the next chapter will up on Monday! Take care everyone!

**-Ana :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! I'm back and with another chapter for y'all! :D As always, my **_**huge**_** thanks go to Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, iamdelilah, and truelovealwaysprevails for your fantastic reviews! And there was an onslaught of favorites/follows, so thank you for that as well! (I guess I'm doing **_**something**_** right!) ;D OK, here's the next chapter as promised! :)**

* * *

The night was bustling with life, cars flashing by and the numerous lights blocking out the stars up above the tall buildings. Sirens blared in the distance, and the air was filled with the sound of people speaking and yelling to each other.

Clint walked briskly down the street, ignoring the excited gasps and shouts as people recognized him as Hawkeye. Turning his head side to side, he looked through the crowds for any sign of Echo.

As he and the others had been settling down for the night earlier, he was clad only in simple workout sweats and a t-shirt. Not exactly the epitome of a superhero at that moment, but with his fierce gaze and his bow strapped to his back, no-one wanted to mess with him anyways.

Clint was worried about Echo, and, he admitted, about Loki as well. Although he was infuriated with Loki for yelling at her like that, Clint could understand where he was coming from.

He had gotten to know the God of Mischief those past two years, against his better judgment in the beginning, and he knew that Loki was a good guy underneath it all. He also noticed that even though Loki was more comfortable around them than before, he was always careful not to show his complete emotions.

Until Echo came along, that is. Then that love struck fool could barely suppress a smile whenever the girl walked into the room. Clint knew he wasn't the only one who had noticed, but they all wisely kept their mouths shut about it.

Clint chuckled softly, images coming to mind of those two shamelessly flirting and teasing each other, no matter who was around. He could only imagine what happened when they were alone.

Then he frowned again as the argument came back to mind. It had to have been about something pretty serious, for those two had been so obviously in love it was sickening at times.

But the way they had looked while fighting was something he would never forget. The tension that Loki had felt had been apparent in the way he held himself, and Echo had assumed a defensive stance against his words.

The pain that had been written so clearly on her face when Loki finally snapped...had been terrible to see. Such a sharp contrast to how lovingly she had always looked at Loki before.

Sighing wearily, he wondered if Echo would even want to come back with him to the Tower. For all their sakes, he hoped that those two could work this out. But he knew that even with all their support, this was something Loki and Echo had to ultimately fix themselves.

Clint ran a hand through his hair, snapping out of his thoughts, and turning onto a busy street. Looking around at all the zooming cars, he realized that Echo wouldn't have run here. She would've wanted peace and quiet to think, not action and noise.

As he began to cross a small intersection, he looked down the dark street, and hesitated slightly. Shaking his head, he thought that it was too eerie for her to want to go in, even if she wanted some silence.

He smiled grimly;_ 'For being such a tough lady, inside it's a completely different story.'_ She tried not to let it show, thus the tough façade, but she was so delicate and scared within.

Suddenly in the corner of his eye he caught a flash of light. Freezing, he looked down the dark street again.

There it was again, from around another corner deep within the block. Turning in that direction, he pulled his bow from his back and began walking hesitantly towards the light.

Then he saw it again, and Clint was amazed to realize that he recognized Echo's fire. He hadn't really noticed before, but it was slightly redder than regular fire, distinct enough for him to see the difference.

Beginning to run now, for if she was using her fire she was either in danger or simply out of control, Clint clicked the blue tooth device in his ear, dialing the Tower.

"Come on, come on, pick up," he muttered, picking up the pace as he heard the sounds of a fight echo off the buildings around him.

Then Clint heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot, and to his horror heard a woman scream right after. _'It's like a horror movie gone bad!' _Another 2 gunshots were fired, and he sprinted the remaining block, praying that he was wrong in his assumption.

'_Please don't be Echo, please don't be–' _Clint nearly had a heart attack when he turned the corner and saw a body lying in the alley. Focusing as he regained his breath from sprinting, he realized quickly that it was an older man.

"Sir, you are now connected to the Tower," he heard JARVIS' voice say, before there was a small tone.

"_What is it Clint? Did something happen?"_ Steve's concerned voice sounded in his ear.

"I don't know what exactly happened yet, but I saw Echo's fire down a deserted block, and–" he was cut off as Bruce interrupted, _"Her_ fire_? How did you know it was her?"_

Sighing exasperatedly, Clint said quickly, "I knew it was hers, ok? I don't have time to explain it now – it just looks different, let's leave it at that."

Approaching the man, he continued, "I heard a few gunshots and a female scream, but all that's left is a man who looks like he's fighting for his life."

Kneeling beside him, Clint saw the man was covering his stomach, breathing deeply with his eyes shut in pain. The knuckles of his hands were white, a large distinction to the blood painting the rest of his hands red.

Sucking in his breath, Clint carefully lifted the man's hands to see the damage. His eyes popped open at his touch, and as they darted around trying to focus, Clint said softly, "Don't panic, I'm here to help."

The man's dark brown eyes fixed onto his face, and Clint took that as an OK to continue. Lifting the hands and shirt gently, he saw three fresh gunshot wounds in his stomach.

"What's your name?" Clint asked slowly, knowing the man understood him when he took another breath as his lips moved slightly.

"Joa– nngh–," he rasped out, coughing slightly to clear his throat afterwards. "Joaquin."

"_Joaquin?!"_ Clint heard Loki yell, before the others hissed at him to be quiet. "All right Joaquin, who did this to you? You need to tell me, so I can try to find them."

Joaquin was clearly struggling to keep his eyes open, his head lolling around, but Clint snapped in front of his face, regaining his attention. "Stay with me, Joaquin."

Readying himself to lift the man, Clint asked, "I need to know if there was a young woman here. Anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated."

At hearing about a young woman, Joaquin's eyes focused for a second on Clint's face, and he choked out, "Echo?"

Clint could practically _feel_ the tension from the other side of his ear bud, as the others kept silent to hear the answer. He nodded, trying not to get his hopes up too high.

Joaquin clutched at Clint's shirt, looking at him intensely, and said, "Do not...go after her."

"What, _don't _save her? Why–?" But Clint stopped talking as Joaquin shook his head. He swallowed hard, tears in his eyes as he pleaded, "It is all a trap...something _evil_ is planned for you..."

Joaquin's voice was getting softer, and Clint quickly told him to hold on, lifting him up into a fireman's carry. Adjusting his grip, he turned down an empty street, and began jogging back to headquarters.

* * *

Back at the Tower, everyone was preparing themselves to retrieve Echo when Clint returned with Joaquin. However, they were all confused as to why Joaquin had told them not to rescue Echo.

"You said he was the father-figure in her life, right?" Natasha asked Loki, casually loading her pistols before slipping them into the holsters on her belt.

"That's what she told me," Loki confirmed, before continuing. "And from what she described, he could not have been lying to her that whole time." _'So then why did he tell us to leave her?'_ Loki thought, puzzling over what they had heard.

Bruce voiced that same question; "Then why would he tell us not to save her?"

Then Tony put in, "He mentioned something about it being a trap? But we can definitely take on the gang. We did it before...they're just ordinary men anyways. So what's to worry about?"

"I don't know, but I didn't like what Joaquin said afterwards," Steve said slowly. At everyone's expectant expressions, he repeated, "Something 'evil' is planned for us? What could he mean by that?"

"I am also confused as to why this man would forbid us from going after our friend, but rescue her we must," Thor's deep voice rumbled into the silence, and Loki nodded fervently in agreement.

Suddenly Clint's voice burst into the silence, startling Loki and the others as they had forgotten about the connection. He sounded panicked, saying quickly, "Joaquin, stay with me. Look, we're almost there, and then we'll go save Echo. Just stay with me!"

The connection cut off, and Loki and the others rushed down to the medical bay. Tony and Bruce set up a table, turning on the machines they might need to use to try and save Joaquin.

A few minutes later, Clint ran in with a man draped over his shoulder, barely holding onto consciousness. Taking in his state, Loki shook his head sadly, knowing that his time was almost up.

Clint laid him carefully on the operating table with Steve's help, and then stepped away as Bruce took over. Loki winced at the bloodied mess Joaquin's stomach was as Bruce slowly lifted the shirt up.

Joaquin's eyes fluttered open at Bruce's touch, and he immediately looked confused. "Don't worry, you're safe now. Just stay awake, ok? Here, tell me this: who did this to you? Are they the same guys who took Echo?"

Loki narrowed his eyes at Bruce – they knew that they were the same people, but at Bruce's answering shake of his head, he realized it was just to keep the man speaking.

"Yes, we were all part of the same gang, before that day you guys unknowingly rescued Echo from that hell."

Loki and Tony shared a glance across the room, and then Tony asked, "So if you think we rescued her before, why did you tell us _not_ to save her now?"

Joaquin attempted to find who had spoken, but then winced in pain as the movement used his stomach muscles. "There is someone – no-one knows who it is – who is ordering our boss around. It may be no-one, because at times he speaks to himself or screams in pain when no-one is touching him."

Loki's stomach clenched uncomfortably at that bit of information, but he prayed for all their sakes that his guess was wrong.

"And that _person_ is the one who you warned us about?" Tony asked, wanting confirmation.

Joaquin nodded slightly, before looking at Bruce as he said, "Well, guess what? Thank you for the warning, but we've gone against far worse than a mob boss, and we're definitely not going to leave our teammate in the hands of those people. So, we're saving her, after I patch you up a bit."

Joaquin smiled grimly, coughing slightly before saying, "Forget about me. I'm nearly gone – I knew that gang would be the death of me, but it is not to be the same for Echo."

Bruce held his hand reassuringly, and Joaquin squeezed back slightly before whispering with his last breath, "Please, go...save..." He exhaled one final time, and then his eyes remained on Bruce's face.

Sighing, Bruce removed his hand from Joaquin's grip, and gently closed his eyes. Visibly shaking, Bruce turned his now green eyes onto the rest of the group, and said grimly, "Let's go save Echo."

* * *

**Okey-dokey, sorry this is a bit shorter (and later) than usual, but this was the best part I could find to stop the chapter neatly. Otherwise it'd go on too long, and it would be an even worse cliffhanger to end it. :P So, let me know how I did, and I'll be updating again on Friday! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**All right, it's Friday! (And my midterms are done, yippeee!) Haha, sorry about that – I'll try to reign it in. :P Lots of love and big thanks to Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, the-newGeek1998, and truelovealwaysprevails for your superb reviews; and of course thanks to those who started following/favorited my story as well.  
Here's the next chapter as promised! (Although I am super sorry this is posted so late! My technology was going nuts earlier - I still don't know what the exact problem was.)**

* * *

Darkness surrounded Echo, and for a moment she began to panic as her claustrophobia spiked. Her breathing increased, and she started to struggle as she realized her hands were tied together as well, restricting her movement even more.

A shock of pain in her side snapped her out of the panic attack, and she realized that she was only blindfolded. Calming herself, she noticed that she was swaying slightly after her movements. Before she could puzzle more about it, she heard voices around her and strained to hear what was being said.

"How do we know he will be able to find her?" someone asked, and Echo immediately knew they were talking about Loki. Feigning sleep, she kept her breathing steady as she eavesdropped on the men.

"Don't worry about it, the boss said everything is taken care of. We just need to use our new weapons, and they'll go down without a problem."

Echo was extremely confused, and frightened for her teammates as well. _'Without a problem? What kind of weapons are these?'_

Before she could find out more however, she felt someone fiddling with the back of her head. The blindfold was ripped off, and Echo was blinded momentarily by the bright light in the room.

Blinking rapidly, she was finally able to focus, and quickly took in her situation. Her tied hands were connected to a rope hanging from the ceiling, her feet barely touching the ground. _'Well, this explains why I was swinging before,'_ she thought grimly, looking down at her toes.

Looking up again, she noticed she was surrounded by her old gang members, much like she was in the alleyway. Memories of what had happened flooded her mind, and she looked down again to see her side soaked with red.

"Yes, that's what happens when you desert the gang," a smooth voice said, and Echo froze as she recognized it.

Looking up she pinned the man with her gaze, calmly saying, "Ah, Phoenix. So, you're the one leading the group now?" He smirked back at her, his eyes revealing how much he loved being in charge.

Taking in his appearance, she noticed he looked older than when she had left. A _lot_ older. His slicked back brown hair was speckled with grey, there were dark bags under his eyes, and she was shocked to see him twitch at random moments.

Composing herself, she sneered, "They couldn't find anyone other than _daddy's boy_ to replace him?" At his outraged expression, she continued with a grin, "Of _course_ you were put in charge – no-one wanted to deal with your temper tantrums anymore."

Phoenix glared at her furiously for one moment, and a laugh came unbidden as the stress of it all became too much for Echo. His eyes widened before he stalked toward her, murder in his eyes.

Gathering her strength, she pushed herself off the ground and kicked him full in the face, when he was close enough. The movement left her gasping as a stab of pain went through the wound in her side, but the crack of her foot hitting the side of his face was completely satisfying.

Panting softly, she glared up at him, daring him to move. Rubbing his cheek softly, he winced before turning his angry gaze on her again. "You'll pay for that, bitch," he growled, punching her hard in the face.

Her head exploded in pain, as he had hit where a bruise was already forming from earlier. However, she just clenched her eyes shut for a moment, not giving him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out. Opening them up again, Echo gasped, "Go to hell."

Phoenix moved so quickly she became dizzy, and she didn't know what he was doing until she felt the pain as he dug his fingers into the stab wound on her side. Echo cried out then, more out of shock although it was painful, and he grinned down at her.

Pulling her closer by holding onto the ropes, he said roughly, "You're the one who's going to hell first. After my boss and I are done with you, you'll wish that you were already there."

Suddenly he froze, his eyes going blank as he stared into the distance. After a few moments of complete silence, Echo jumped slightly when Phoenix said abruptly, "Yes, I have her right here. Loki will find her – my men are taking care of that right now."

Looking up at him, Echo felt a bit of fear as she took in his eerily blank face. _'Having conversations with himself? And who was this boss that he was talking about earlier?'_ She glanced around the room, and saw that although the men were uneasy with Phoenix's behavior, they were apparently used to these moments of insanity.

When Phoenix's manic eyes turned onto her again, a shiver not from the cold went down her spine as she gulped. A small demented smile formed on his lips, and he said softly, "My master says he'll talk with you now."

He finally released her side, making her sigh in relief, but the way he was grinning at her made her even more uneasy. "Well, where is he?" Echo asked, unable to keep the small bit of fear from leaking into her voice.

"Oh, he's on his way. But he doesn't have to be here to talk with you first." Before Echo could question him further, a strange buzzing sound filled her ears and her vision went blurry.

'_So, you are the mortal that has melted the heart of the young Prince?' _A harsh voice suddenly asked, making Echo start violently. _'But it seems that your pursuits were futile, from what I can gather from your thoughts.'_

"Who are you? How are you doing this?" _'And how does he know what happened between me and Loki?'_ Echo thought frantically, turning her head to each side although her vision was still unclear.

'_Oh, I have been watching Loki since he failed to bring my army to victory. I have been biding my time, and now the moment to act has come. Recruiting that weak-minded fool to do what I could not was simple enough – although I may have gone too far with him. His mind was already pathetic before I came into his life, but I fear I may have broken it with my antics.'_

Echo almost felt a bit of sympathy for Phoenix, before remembering all that his father and he had done to her in the past. "So why go through all this, when you have been watching Loki since the beginning? He has told me about you, and your 'great' powers. Surely you could just strike him down where he stood, rather than rely on a mere mortal to bring him to you?"

'_Ah, yes, but where is pleasure in that? I warned him that he would be unable to hide from me, and now I am ready to make good my promise.' _Echo shivered again, the whispered words dripping with malice and evil, and she hoped with all her heart that Loki would not fall for the trap.

'_You would remain here, with your old captors, so that he would remain unharmed? But see, that is exactly why I chose you as bait, my dear.'_ Echo's eyes widened as she finally realized what role she was playing in this scheme, and cursed herself for not being able to fight the effects of the tranquilizer earlier.

'_Oh, I can see you are a strong one. Full of anger and fire. I will take such pleasure in breaking you, and break you I shall along with your beloved Loki. And when I'm done with you, I will let that sad excuse of a man take his revenge on you as a reward for all that he's done for me.'_

The buzzing sound in her ears intensified, the shadows in the corners of her vision darkening for a moment. Then she blinked, and Echo was able to see the still smirking Phoenix in front of her again.

Seeing her alert once again, he said happily, "Ah, back with us again, are you? How did you like 'meeting' my boss? A pleasant fellow, isn't he?"

He suddenly winced in pain, and Echo laughed in his face, "You shouldn't be so sarcastic. He sees everything, didn't he tell you?"

Phoenix just rubbed his forehead, attempting to get rid of the headache, looking daggers at Echo. Then a grin appeared on his face again, and he straightened up, saying, "You shouldn't be laughing. Didn't he tell you? Once he's done with you, he said you're all ours." His grin growing feral, he stated in a cool voice, "Oh, do I have such _fun_ planned for you."

Echo could only stare at him in horror, a small amount of genuine fear forming at the realization that he was truly insane. He merely grinned evilly at her fearful expression, apparently enjoying himself immensely.

Then, before Phoenix could say anything else, a man came running into the room. Catching his breath, he said rapidly, "The package was delivered, and the Avengers are on their way now. Do the men and I arm ourselves?"

Phoenix turned eagerly toward the man, saying excitedly, "Yes, ready the weapons and make sure each man is armed with at least a dozen tranquilizers and smoke bombs. We _cannot_ mess this up."

"But mess it up you shall, because you're such idiots for even _thinking_ about taking on the Avengers." But Phoenix barely gave her a glance, motioning at someone near her then at her. She turned her head, attempting to see what was going on.

Then all thoughts left her mind as someone covered her mouth with a strong smelling cloth, everything turning black once again.

* * *

Although Loki had wanted to leave to save Echo immediately, they couldn't very well search the entirety of New York City for her. Therefore, it was a very agitated Loki that was pacing the floor within the Tower as the others tried to find her.

Using surveillance cameras near the crime scene, Bruce and Tony were attempting to see if they could find out which direction the men had gone. However, it was proving useless, for the cameras were either set at the wrong angle, or so blurry that it was a wonder they were used as security cameras at all.

Cursing to himself, Loki vowed he would place a locating spell on Echo once she was back with him. Although, he would fight long and hard before she could be taken from him again.

"Wait, who's that?" Bruce's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he immediately strode over to stand beside their table.

"What have you found?" Loki asked, no small amount of stress entering his voice.

Without taking his eyes off the laptop's screen, Tony answered quickly, "Someone left something just inside the front door. Where the hell are the guards?"

Peering at the screen, Loki saw that there was indeed a box beside the sliding doors. "Shall I retrieve it?" He wasn't actually asking, and ignored their protests as he teleported down to the first floor.

Looking around, he spotted the small box almost immediately, and approached it with caution. Waving his hand, he cast a quick spell to see if it was an explosive or dangerous in any way. When nothing happened, he quickly walked over and picked it up.

Turning it over in his hands, he saw nothing out of the ordinary with it. It was a simple cardboard box, easily fitting in the palm of his hand, and he hefted it to find it weighed nearly nothing.

Frowning, he teleported back to the others, and placed the box onto the table. "There seems to be nothing dangerous contained inside it...even anything at all judging from its weight."

Bruce reached out and carefully lifted the lid, revealing a small tape-recorder and a simple USB stick. Glancing at Loki and the others, he waited another second, then pressed the play button.

Static filled the tense silence, before a male voice began speaking. "Ah, the mighty Avengers, it is such a pleasure to be speaking to you. Of course, you can't be that powerful if you are listening to this, for I will have found your weakness, the soft spot in your nearly impenetrable armor."

Loki exchanged glances with the others, finding similar expressions of anger to that of his. _'But how did he figure it out?' _Loki thought furiously, focusing once again on the tape recorder as the man continued speaking.

"You must be wondering how this was able to happen. How we were able to infiltrate your _high-security _Tower. My master has kept his eye on you for quite some time, and with my help, his plan is now in motion. You had all foiled his plan to take over the Earth, and now he is ready to exact his revenge."

"Now, if you ever want to see your beloved Echo again, you must follow the map provided on the flash drive. Do not notify SHIELD of your whereabouts, and do not try to trick us. My master will know if you disobey these rules, and if you truly care about Miss Valentina, you would do well to follow them exactly as I said. I will greatly enjoy meeting you in person, soon."

The loud static continued for another second before the tape stopped with a click, startling all of them. Loki let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and said quickly, "Well, what are you waiting for? Look at the map so we can find Echo."

His voice successfully snapped the others out of their thoughts, and Tony snatched the USB out of the box, plugging it into his laptop swiftly.

After a few minutes of comparing the directions on the flash drive to a map of New York, Tony suddenly exclaimed, "Found it. JARVIS, enter this data into my suit and onto the computer in the Quinjet."

Turning to the rest of them, he clapped his hands, saying, "Chop chop, let's move it. We have a damsel in distress to rescue!"

Loki couldn't help but let a grim smile form on his lips, and he hoped yet again that they would find Echo before she was placed under too much torture.

* * *

**So, this was a **_**bit**_** longer than the last chapter, but I know it's still short. :/ I hope it was satisfactory anyways, but you let me know, ok? :) All **_**right**_**, the rescue mission will be fully underway next chapter, and there'll be lots more action! :D I'll be updating on Tuesday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Oh, spring break is such a nice week – a much needed rest, no? Got to visit some old friends, see old teachers...all in all, a very nice day. How about you guys? I hope you're all doing well too! :D  
OK, as always, my huge thanks to my faithful readers Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, and iamdelilah for your lovely reviews! I hope this is to your expectations! :)**

* * *

Loki felt like a raging bull, blowing all caution to the wind, desperate to find Echo in time. After all he had gone through with the Other, he would never wish that torture on _anyone_ else. Least of all one who had gone through so much already, as Echo did.

'_Come on, come on. Hurry it up.'_ Looking toward the front of the vehicle, Loki willed Clint to find her sooner. He could not bear to imagine how he would react if he found Echo de – _'No, don't you dare think that!'_

Shaking his head, he concentrated rather on how he would punish those bastards for taking her away from him in the first place. A quick glance around revealed that the others were probably thinking the same thing.

Catching Steve's eyes, he watched as a mixture of pity and something else crossed over the soldier's face. He arched an eyebrow, and Steve sighed before asking, "What else can you tell us about their 'boss'?"

Bucky, from beside Steve, added, "Yeah, what can we expect?"

'_He is one you would never want to meet, for you would not be the same afterwards,'_ Loki thought, before gathering his thoughts more appropriately. "The Other is a master of torture, particularly mental tortures."

His gaze became distant for a moment, as memories fought to climb to the surface again. Blinking, Loki continued, "He searches your mind for the deepest darkest secrets, worries, troubles that you try the hardest to hide. Then, manipulating your memories in such a way, he makes you question if what you believe is true, or if _he_ is telling the truth."

"That is what makes him so dangerous, but so successful in controlling others. When you reach that state of mind in which you are unsure of whom to follow, you are so much easier to break and control to do his filthy deeds." That last part was snarled out, and the air was tense for a while as Loki's words sunk in.

Composing himself again, Loki said more softly, "It does not matter how strong you believe yourself to be – he will strip you of all your power and dignity, until you are a sobbing, broken mess."

Loki felt a light hand on his arm, and half-expected to see Echo looking at him with those big brown eyes. Turning however, he was nearly overcome with grief when he found Natasha smiling softly at him instead.

Grateful that she had attempted to comfort him though, Loki managed a grim smile before facing forward once again. Sighing, he closed his eyes and tried to gather his crazed thoughts.

If he was to face the Other again, then he would need to prepare himself in order not to break down in fear. Directing a bit of his magic to his mind, he conjured a mental shield that would hopefully help him fight off the Others' vicious words.

Suddenly Tony's voice came over the intercom, loud and static. "I've found their hideout. Coming back to you now – follow me as best you can."

After a few more minutes, they suddenly found themselves above the ocean, and saw Tony land on one of the many abandoned docks beside the water.

It was at a deserted warehouse beside a dock, and the putrid scent of rotting fish and seaweed was everywhere. Only a few street lamps shone dimly through the overbearing darkness, and the chill of the sea seeped through their armor and clothes.

However, their comfort was not top priority as Clint landed the Quinjet as smoothly and quickly as he could besides the rickety structure. The engine had barely shut off before they were flooding out and running toward the building.

Loki hefted his scepter, its familiar weight a comfort as he prepared to blast through the wall. Catching movement in the corner of his eye, he turned his head slightly to see Tony raise his gloves and fire into the wall as well.

Before they could make a big enough hole, suddenly the Hulk pushed past Loki and crashed through the wall, effectively gaining entrance to the building. Loki grinned as he noticed the Hulk looking back at them impatiently.

Running alongside Natasha and Thor, Loki dashed through the corridors, trying to find any sign of Echo. All around him were signs of neglect – the paint was peeling, the floors rotting – but there were no scorch marks, no hints of a struggle anywhere. Nothing that could prove that Echo had been there.

Soon they encountered a group of gang members, all of whom had handkerchiefs tied around the bottom halves of their faces. Dismissing it as yet another form of gang clothing, Loki eagerly engaged in the fight.

Letting out all his worry and anger, he punched and blasted his way through the group of men. They did not stand a chance, and he noticed that some had already fled the battle. _'Pathetic mortals.'_

Mjölnir flew past Loki's head, so close that the following wind was able to blow strands of hair into his face. Getting over the shock rapidly, he turned abruptly to pin Thor with a glare. It was to no avail, as Thor merely grinned at him, shrugging in apology.

Scoffing, he turned back to easily blast aside a man with his scepter, watching as he crashed into four other men. They all fell to the ground in a heap, and Loki moved on to more targets.

Drawing back his fist, he punched a man straight in the jaw, effectively cracking it. The man groaned in pain, before grunting as Steve kicked him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.

Before Loki could say anything, the men who had run away returned with new modified pistols. He barely had time to dodge before they are fired upon, and he saw that they were shooting darts of some sort.

The Hulk roared at the men, causing many to flinch, but the others simply aim their guns toward him. Tony yelled out, "No!" but it was too late as the Hulk's chest became peppered with darts.

He froze for a moment, an expression somewhat of disbelief crossing his face, before a spasm suddenly coursed through his body. Loki watched horrified as the Hulk roared in pain and confusion, being forced to transform rapidly back into Bruce.

With one more agonized shout, Bruce's eyes roll back into his head, and he fell forward to the ground. Tony immediately moved to protect him, when a light buzzing sound erupted and the Iron Man suit shut down almost immediately afterwards, falling to the ground with a crash.

Giving a shout of anger, Loki ran towards the men with his scepter raised, and watched as they all raised their pistols simultaneously. The sound of shots being fired filled the air, and a stab of pain went through Loki's body as he was struck below the ribs.

As he fell to his knees, pulling the wretched tranquilizer out, he became aware of a dim hissing sound underneath the rest of the commotion. Looking around, he noticed that there were vents all along the ceiling, and cursed himself not to have seen them sooner.

Thor suddenly collapsed beside him, and he looked through increasingly heavy eyes to see darts sticking to the backs of his arms and legs. Steve had Bucky over his shoulder, and reached down to help Loki up, but then jerked as he was hit in the back.

He strained to stay upright, but the effects of the serum are stronger than he thought, and he quickly fell to the ground in front of Loki. He looked up, seeing Natasha and Clint also unconscious nearby, and then slowly turned his head to see the men inching toward him.

He barely began raising his suddenly heavy scepter when the men panicked and battered him with darts. Filled with sudden anger that they would fire on him, Loki managed to climb to his feet and lunged forward.

He was able to knock a few men down, but the rush of adrenaline only made the serum course through his veins faster, and he collapsed to his stomach as the fight for consciousness slowly ended.

The last thing he saw was a young though haggard looking man walk from around a corner, smirking at them all, before darkness claimed him.

* * *

'_They are only using you. Do you really expect them to drop everything and rescue you? You are nothing to them.'_

Echo just shook her head, attempting to fight the harsh voice inside her mind. "I'd rather they didn't find me, so they don't fall into your trap. I don't want to be the reason for their downfall."

'_Ah, but you already are. Those mortals that I have under my control have informed me that your teammates have already been overcome.' _An evil laugh reverberated around the room, before the man continued, "The mighty Avengers are not so mighty after all."

Echo's eyes shot open at that, and after noticing that the voice sounded different, and could not hold back the gasp to see her tormentor directly in front of her. She was tied to a chair in the center of the small room, and would have heard if the door had opened.

"I do not require the use of a door to enter a building or a room. One moment I am here." Suddenly the cloaked man disappeared, and Echo jumped as he whispered right beside her ear, "and another I am here."

She could feel his breath along her skin, and shivered in disgust at being so close to that creature. He merely laughed at her repulsion. "You would call me a monster, but not your lover, the Jotun?"

"He isn't evil as you are, and his form is nothing to be ashamed of," Echo responded heatedly. "You _are_ a monster, from your actions and your form. Loki is neither."

The man seemed to study her, until she was nearly shaking with anxiety. He reached forward, gripping her head and placing his dry thumbs on her temples. She attempted to pull away, but his grip only tightened.

A wave of dizziness passed over her, and she blinked rapidly to try and reorient herself. A spike of pain in the back of her skull almost made her cry out, but she bit her lip to keep it inside.

Suddenly the world spun and she was reliving the fight with Loki. She focused just in time to hear him shout, "I pitied you, that's what I did! Apparently it was a mistake!" Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she looked at his furious face, his eyes full of anger and rage.

Then the world spun again, and she was back in the small cell, the Other standing in front of her looking incredibly smug. "The Prince does not truly love you. It is as you feared – he merely used you as a plaything, and would have gotten rid of you in time."

Although a few tears escaped her eyes, she refused to believe him. "No, you're wrong. He would never do that. He's changed, since the battle of New York, and even since I've known him."

'_He cares, I _know_ he does. He just...needs a bit of time to say it,'_ she thought, realizing Loki's perspective suddenly. _'He _does_ care. And no-one can tell me otherwise.'_

"Oh, _no-one_ can tell you otherwise? What an interesting comment. Let's see if I can change that thought."

Those clammy hands were placed on the sides of her head once again, and another shock of pain went through Echo's head before she suddenly went limp. Her eyes blank and staring, her breathing began to increase as memories she had fought to bury were being brought back up to light.

The Other looked down at her, and a grin began forming across his face as her eyes widened before her mouth opened to release a terrified scream.

His evil laughter echoed across the walls, even as the screams reverberated over it, increasing in volume each time.

* * *

**OK, another one done. Hopefully, it wasn't too short or bad, but I'll work on my writing accordingly if you want me to change something, etc. I'll be updating again on Saturday, where we'll be seeing more of Loki and the others (unless you want to see Echo's side as well.) Let me know, and take care everyone!**

**- Ana :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**I am **_**so**_** sorry that this is late – I was extremely busy pretty much **_**all **_**day yesterday, got home around 4:45AM, and basically collapsed. I promise that this won't happen again, yesterday was simply an emergency. Hope you'll understand. :)**

Huge thanks to those who reviewed – Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, and truelovealwaysprevails – and thanks to my lovely readers and to those who've followed/favorited as well! Finally, here's another chapter. :)

* * *

Echo shut her eyes, attempting to calm her thudding heart. Taking in shuddering breaths, she knew that the Other was still there, but chose to ignore him for the time being.

Her hands were tied together, her legs and arms strapped to the chair she was sitting in. Her hair was slightly matted with sweat and her wrists were rubbed raw, from struggling while the Other played with her mind.

Memories that invaded her worst nightmares had been trudged up, and Echo couldn't help but scream as she was forced to relive her past. How she had killed, without a second thought, all to spare her own life. It disgusted her, how she had been morphed into a machine by the Phoenix's father and the gang.

She heard the rustling of cloth, and tensed when she felt the cold hand caress her cheek. Pulling her face away, she opened her eyes to glare at the monster in front of her. The smug grin on his face only fueled her rage, and she tried yet again to gather her energy and burn him to a crisp.

"You're only tiring yourself out. And with all the things I have planned for you, you're going to need your strength." The Other leered at her, adding, "And when you are nearly gone, I will let that mortal have the satisfaction of breaking you."

"I know my teammates will get out of there, and I'm sure they'll have no problem wiping the floor with you. It would be easier for you if you just surrendered right now," Echo said as calmly as she could.

The Other simply looked at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You believe yourself strong? Your words are _nothing_, when you cannot carry out the actions behind them."

"Oh, I will get out of these restraints. And when I do, you'd better hide and pray we don't find you." Echo tensed again as the Other stepped towards her, then hissed in pain as he pressed his fingers against the wound in her side.

Looking down at her as if with pity, he whispered, "Ah, you see? One little touch," he dug his sharp fingernails further into her side, making her stomach clench as she whimpered softly. "And you become undone. Your words are _nothing_."

He leaned down further, until she could feel his rank breath against her cheeks. "It would be easier for _you_ if you stopped resisting."

"Never," Echo spat immediately, releasing the breath she had been holding when he straightened back up.

With a quick movement, his hands were back on her forehead and she struggled to get out of his iron grip. Breathing deeply as she awaited the pain and horror, Echo found she was only getting a small amount of air. Suddenly the world spun, making her close her eyes, and when she opened them again, everything was black.

Blinking numerous times, the darkness remained. Desperate now, she tried to gather more air with each breath. No matter how much she inhaled, the air seemed limited.

Although she tried to keep her claustrophobia at bay, she could feel the panic start to rise deep within her. _'It's ok. You'll be ok – just breathe slowly.'_

A voice jolted her out of her thoughts, but when she opened her eyes, she was all alone in the darkness. "How will you be ok? Your team is defeated, and your lover hates you."

'_No, they cannot be defeated. They might have lost the battle, but they will win the war,' _Echo thought fiercely, ignoring the other comment in the hopes that he would forget about it. It was not to be.

"I see you have avoided my other remark. And what of Loki? Are you hoping he'll come bursting in, save you and you'll live happily ever after? Why should he, when he cares little for a whiny mortal such as yourself?"

Echo shook her head, clenching her eyes shut as if that could help block out his voice. _'I understand he's been hurt before, but I know that he wouldn't have stayed with me that long if he didn't care for me.'_

"You've been nothing but trouble for him – why should he risk his life, risk getting captured by me again, when you are obviously only with him for your own needs."

'_No, I _love_ him. I would do anything for him,' _Echo thought, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"But would he do the same for you? I'm sure once he has escaped, he will flee without a second glance in order to save his own skin, and forget about you and the others."

'_No...'_ But doubt had begun to crawl into her mind. Loki had been so scared that he would be caught by the Other – why _would_ he remain here, only to save his team? But that team had tried to defeat him only two years ago. Was that enough time to heal? Echo tried to get out of that train of thought, and continued weakly, _'He wouldn't...'_

"Yes, he would. To an immortal, two years is barely a blink of an eye; he is still scarred, and he will never fully recover."

'_But-but...I'll help him recover. He has m–'_ Echo started, tears flowing down her cheeks now.

"No, you will not. You cannot. After all, you have hurt him the most, playing with his heart like that."

'_No, I never meant to hurt him. I love him and I know he cares for me too. I'll give him all the time he needs to sort through his thoughts – no matter how long it takes, I'll be there when he's ready.'_

"But what if he's never ready?" And with that statement, Echo's largest fear was put on display. "What if he doesn't _want _to be ready? After all, you are only a _girl_, a mortal at that. Why should he waste time with you?"

She couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and sobbed quietly, "Maybe he shouldn't. I'm not worth it anyways."

The world shifted, and when Echo blinked she was back in the small room. The Other was standing in front of her with a completely satisfied face, but she just closed her eyes, tears still trickling down her cheeks.

"What a weak thing you are," he sneered, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. "And here I thought you would be more fun to play with. I suppose I should visit Loki then, as he's long overdue for a visit."

Echo's head snapped up, and she burst out, "No, don't hurt him anymore! Continue torturing me, just leave him alone!"

"Even after you are broken, you would beg me to continue, so that your lover will not suffer? I wonder, would he do the same for you?"

Echo just looked away, doubting the answer she had, and simply whispered, "Please...don't hurt him."

The Other just laughed. "I listen to no mortal. But if you're so keen on continuing your torture, I will allow that man to have his way with you, as he's been behaving so well." With that, he disappeared, and Echo's stomach clenched in dread of what the Other might do to Loki.

She sobbed quietly, the sounds echoing off the walls of the small cell she was in.

* * *

Loki woke up to someone calling his name, and opened heavy eyes to see that he was inside a small cage. He was slumped in the corner, the metal bars digging into his back, his legs stretching halfway across the cage's floor. Looking up wearily, he would probably be able to stand easily in it.

"Loki." He turned his head slowly to see Thor looking at him with a worried expression. "Are you all right, brother?" Sitting up little by little, wincing slightly at the soreness that gripped his body, Loki managed a nod.

Looking around, he saw that each Avenger was in a cage identical to his, all lined up against the wall of the room they were in. Thor was directly to his right, followed by Natasha and Clint. Natasha was currently trying to wake up Clint, who was lying on his back in the center of his cage.

She had a nasty looking bruise on the side of her jaw, although that didn't stop her from clenching it in her anger. Clint looked fine from what Loki could see, never mind his still unconscious state.

Turning the other direction, he saw Steve blinking awake, Bucky, Bruce and Tony were further down the line. Bucky seemed to have trouble breathing, but was ignoring his condition as a look of relief crossed his face when Steve awoke.

Leaning over a bit more Loki saw that Bruce was conscious, although still lying on the floor. Every now and then he would wince in pain, and Loki realized with a jolt that the Hulk was attempting to come out – but Bruce had been shot so many times that the serum was still affecting him.

Tony was looking down at Bruce with a worried expression, speaking softly to calm him down. Loki turned away, his eyebrows furrowing as he took in their situation.

The room they were in was obviously built for them; with steel-plated doors, cameras in each corner, and vents along the ceiling above their cages. Gungnir, Steve's shield, Tony's trashed armor, and Clint and Natasha's weapons were tossed near the far wall. Mjölnir was nowhere to be seen, but then again Loki himself could not lift the hammer, so he assumed it was wherever Thor had dropped it.

The vents were still hissing softly with the gas that kept them weak, and the places where he had been hit with the darts were completely sore. Prodding his stomach softly, he winced as pain erupted throughout his body.

Although he was still weak, however, he did not except to be cut off from his magic. Standing up unsteadily, using the bars to help him, he closed his eyes and concentrated, preparing to teleport out of the cage.

When nothing happened, when he couldn't gather the energy needed, his eyes snapped open. "What is this?" he hissed angrily, looking at his hands in puzzlement. He could not summon his magic, and after many attempts, he sunk back down against the metal bars.

"I cannot call Mjölnir to my side. I do not understand how we were defeated by these mere men," Thor said as Loki sat back down. Looking up at Thor's confused expression, Loki could not figure out how the men had subdued them either.

The door opened suddenly, the crash surprising them all. Some men came in, walking briskly into the room. Loki stood up, and even though he was unstable, his towering demeanor caused the men to hesitate. Loki smirked at the men – they might have caught him, but they still had _much_ reason to fear him.

Then Loki recognized the young man that he had seen before collapsing. Assuming by the way he was standing in front of the others, he was the leader of this gang. His suspicions were confirmed when the man grinned and said smoothly, "It is _so_ nice to meet you all in person. I assume that my tape recorder worked fine then?"

"My name is Phoenix, and I will be forever known as the one who took down the Avengers. The way things panned out, you might have thought that I had ordered Echo to infiltrate your team and gain your trust in order to capture you."

Loki's heart clenched, praying that that was not true. He breathed in relief when Phoenix continued calmly, "But this was all coincidentally perfect. Echo leaving us, the traitor, and later joining your team. Then you all becoming so close with her, so close as to come to her rescue the moment you knew she was in danger."

Loki kept his glare pinned on Phoenix, as if attempting to burn a hole in his head with his eyes. The man began pacing in front of all their cages, and a quick glance showed that everyone was awake and glaring similarly at Phoenix as well.

Loki's gaze snapped back to Phoenix as he said, "So _sorry_ to let you down, but no-one will be rescuing anyone. My boss has informed me that his work with Echo is done, and that it's my turn to play with her."

The grin that appeared on Phoenix's face with that statement made Loki's stomach turn, and he lunged at the front of the cage. "If you lay one hand on her, I assure you, you will have a long, slow and torturous death," Loki growled, but to his fury the man simply laughed.

Walking over to be face-to-face with Loki, Phoenix sneered, "But how will you do that, when my weapons have rendered you defenseless? And when my master is done with you, you will have no strength to carry out your threat."

At the mention of the Other, Loki felt a trickle of fear go down his spine, but he managed to keep a neutral expression. Phoenix smirked at him, and leaning closer, said mockingly, "I'll be sure to drop Echo here when I'm done with her, since you wish to see her _so_ badly. For now, my master wants to see you."

He motioned to his men to open Loki's cage, but before he could walk away, Loki reached out quickly and grabbed Phoenix by the shirt. He gave a comical shriek of panic, before grunting in pain as his chest hit the bars of the cage. Lifting him by his shirt, Loki growled, "You will regret ever touching Echo, and capturing my team and I – it would be better for you if you stopped right now."

Phoenix's eyes were wide with fear, but he managed to squeak out, "Fire!" Loki dropped the man as he was shot with the tranquilizers yet again. He stumbled back from the impact, dimly aware of Thor, Steve and Tony yelling in anger, before entering a hazy state of alertness.

He barely noticed as he was taken from his cage, struggling feebly once he realized that he was being led down a hallway. They easily push him into a room, then leave him after strapping him down to a chair.

After a few moments, the Other appeared in front of him, causing Loki to flinch out of instinct. Cursing himself for his weakness, he struggles to focus on the Other's laughing face.

"I will need you to be more aware for our time together. Let me fix that." Loki saw him reach out, before feeling a palm on his forehead. His vision focused, and he suddenly wished that it had remained blurry, so that he would not have see the Other clearly.

"Look how far you have fallen. Captured by mere mortals – how pathetic," the Other taunted.

Loki rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Obviously we were so easily subdued due to your assisting those men. They hardly seem like the type who could pull off such a plan alone."

"True," the Other conceded. "However, they provided me with the perfect bait without even knowing it. It was astounding how quickly I was able to lure you in with that girl. You've gone soft," he leered at Loki, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in anger.

"I swear, when I manage to get free, I will come after you and repay you for all the torture you've put me through."

"I assume you would 'repay' me for breaking your lover as well, hmm? Such spirit – I did enjoy destroying it bit by bit."

Loki's anger flared up, and he bellowed, "What did you do to her?!"

"Oh, nothing that I didn't do to you. She had so much fight, but in the end she was just as pathetic as you were, begging me to stop."

"No," Loki shook his head adamantly. "She would never beg. She's a lot stronger than you claim."

"Oh, really? Then how do you explain her reaction when I said I would begin with you? She reached for the opportunity to make the torture stop, even if you would take her place."

For a moment Loki's heart dropped, but then he remembered how angry she had been when he had relapsed. How tightly she had held him after he told her about being tortured by the Other and the Chitauri. The determination that had shone in her eyes, promising him without words that she would never let him get hurt like that again.

"You're lying," Loki said slowly, and smirked as he saw the Other falter at his tone of voice. "She loves me, and I know she would not wish for me to be in this situation again."

The Other looked at him blankly, and Loki felt a tingling in his skull. Realizing what the Other was doing, he yelled, "Get out of my head!"

The tingling stopped, and the Other leered at him. "But if she loves you, then why did you react so angrily to her words?" Loki cursed – of course he would bring up the fight.

Loki was silent, but before the Other could say anything, Loki took a steady breath before looking up at him. "I do care for Echo, but after all that had happened..." Loki glared at the Other before continuing, "After all that you had done to destroy me, it had become hard to trust anyone again."

Sighing, Loki looked away from the Others' face, staring blankly at the wall beside him. "And since that is the strongest feeling of them all...I had to be sure her sentiments were pure before I admitted my own feelings."

Silence filled the room, as Loki truly thought about all that had happened. _'I _do_ lo–'_ But he could not finish that statement, for there was still a small portion of fear in the back of his mind. However, now that fear was not that Echo was lying, but fear of Echo being changed after being tortured by the Other.

Rage filled Loki again, and when he spoke, his words were dripping with the hatred he felt toward the Other. "If you have broken Echo beyond repair – if I am unable to help her heal – you will rue the day I ever came into your life."

But the Other just sneered. "Oh, I highly doubt that. I'll be back to play with you later – for now I have more important matters to attend to." With that, he disappeared, leaving Loki fuming in the center of the room.

'_Oh, Echo, please be all right,' _Loki thought, praying that he would be able to save her before it was too late.

The door suddenly opened, and the same men came to take him back to his cage. He was not as unstable as before, but he feigned helplessness so that he was not shot again, and he could slowly regain his strength.

When he was pushed through the door, Thor immediately bellowed, "Brother, are you hurt?"

Loki shook his head slightly, allowing the men to push him into the cage, and then watched them with barely restrained hatred as they walked out of the room, leaving him and the Avengers alone again.

"Did you find out anything?" Steve asked, worry thick in his voice.

Loki sighed wearily, saying, "I fear for Echo. The Other's words were troubling, and now that Phoenix is allowed to have his turn for revenge..." But Loki could not continue the statement, and after taking a deep breath, straightened himself up. "We must get out of here at all costs."

Tony suddenly piped up with, "I totally agree, and here's what I have in mind." Loki sat down in his cage, wincing as his muscles protested at the movement. Despite their bleak situation, a small grin began forming on his face as Tony eagerly launched into his plan. _'Do not despair Echo. We will escape yet.'_

* * *

**Aw yeah, Tony has a plan! :D Expect an awesome escape ****(well, I'll try, hehe)**, complete with loads of fighting, revenge, and much more in the next chapter! (lol) ;D Again, I'm super sorry that this is a day late, but there was an emergency (everyone's all right now, thank goodness). I hope this chapter was worth the wait – if you spot any errors, or want to see a bit more of something, let me know! I'll be updating on Wednesday! Take care everyone and stay safe! Oh, and happy Easter!

**-Ana :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**All right, a_ little_ earlier than usual – I know, shocker. ;P I just thought I owed you because of last time, so I tried my best to get this finished at least a bit earlier. :D OK, my usual but **_**no**_** less grateful thanks to all my lovely readers, to those who've reviewed – Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, mrschultz, truelovealwaysprevails – and to those who've favorited/followed! Thanks for all the support!**

**Hope this chapter is to your expectations for the escape – (I've tried my best!) – but be warned there is strong content as well. I don't think it's too descriptive, (at least not as bad as others I've read), but to you it may be different. Just...proceed with caution, I guess.**

* * *

Loki sat inside his cage, watching as Tony prepared to put their escape plan in motion. It was so brilliantly simple, but when dealing with those idiot cronies that followed Phoenix around, simple was more than enough.

At this point, they were all awake and alert but still weak due to the gas that leaked continuously into the room. As for the affects of the tranquilizers, only Bruce and Steve had needed to be injected again due to their physical states.

Loki and the others were weakened enough for the men to overpower, but by not injecting them again with the serum, Loki could feel his strength and power slowly returning. Obviously the men hadn't thought that particular idea out thoroughly. Loki scoffed at their stupidity, turning back towards Tony.

As Tony situated himself beside the complex lock of his cage, Loki took in how tired and stressed he looked. Loki supposed that he appeared the same, if not more anxious, for they had not had any sign or proof that Echo was well or at least still alive.

Shaking his head, he regained concentration, not allowing himself to continue that particular train of thought. _'She has to be alive...she would not give up that easily,'_ Loki thought vehemently, fighting the doubtful voice at the back of his mind.

Catching Tony's eye, Loki saw him give a concerned look; Loki just waved it away, expressing that Tony carry on with the plan. After another moment, Tony began fiddling around with the lock, hiding his actions as best he could from the cameras in each corner of the room.

Thankfully, there were only cameras around the room, so whatever was said in that room stayed secret. Otherwise, their whole plan would have been foiled from the moment Tony opened his mouth. There was a speaker, however, which Phoenix had already used to taunt them, but it was only one way.

Tony _had_ had a miniature lock-pick set, but when the men had forcibly removed his Iron Man armor, they had searched his clothing as well and found the secret pockets and tools in his shirt and pant legs.

However, they did not know how sneaky Tony could be – once the men had left, Tony had pulled a few more tiny tools from within the seams of his socks. He had been sure to keep them out of sight until then, but the time to use them was now.

Clint and Natasha were stretching as best they could in the cramped cage, while Thor merely sat still, slowly regaining his power and testing whether he could summon Mjölnir. As it was, the serum was still affecting him enough so that he was unable to do anything yet.

Loki could feel his powers returning as well, and he still had the small amount of magic he had used to create the shield around his mind. He would only break that protective layer if he truly needed to – he would be of no use if the Other managed to get into his mind again.

Bruce had moved to a sitting position, his eyes shut as he tried to keep his anger at bay. The Hulk was so close to coming out, but since he had been shot by the tranquilizers again, he was still in pain as he fought to calm down.

Steve was pacing his cage slowly, his forehead creased with worry but his eyes blank as he stared off into the distance. Bucky was in a similar state, although sitting in the corner rather than standing. Bucky blinked then, and catching Loki's eyes, asked softly, "How do you think Echo is doing?"

Loki sighed; "I truly don't know. But I pray that she is able to stay strong." Just then the speaker clicked as it turned on, and Loki rolled his eyes in annoyance as Phoenix's voice called from the background; "Is it on?" He did not want to hear anything from that bastard Phoenix other than pleas for mercy – _'Wait, is that?'_

"What did you do?" A wave of relief went through Loki's body as he heard Echo's voice, proof that she was still alive. She sounded tired though, and Loki thought fervently, _'Please, Echo, hold on. We'll be out in no time.'_

He looked over at Tony to urge him to work faster when a sharp gasp of pain came through the speakers, causing him and the others to freeze. "Oh, I'm just providing your friends with some entertainment until our boss returns to finish them off. Isn't that what any good host would do?"

"You're, nngh, a sick bastard," Echo managed to choke out, and Loki's heart wrenched to hear how brave she was being.

Snapping himself out of the shock, Loki yelled at Tony, "Hurry up!" Tony jumped, before turning back to the lock, stretching as best he could to reach it. It was in an awkward position, and Loki hoped that all the bragging Tony had done throughout the time he knew him would come to good use now.

Harsh snaps of a whip cut through the air, but the only sound of pain was a slight groan. "Aw, won't you scream for me? Or are you afraid that your team will think you weak?" Loki bristled in anger at Phoenix's words, and he wasn't the only one.

"That coward –" Bruce began, his eyes shining green and limbs trembling as the Hulk fought for control. "–is the only one who's weak."

Echo gasped again, and Phoenix continued, "Go on, cry and call to your team. Although I doubt they would help you even if they were able to."

Loki surged to his feet, clutching the metal bars of his cage until his knuckles were white. There was another stifled groan, followed by three harsh snaps of the whip and a soft cry of pain. "I will not beg," Echo said after a moment, her breath coming out in pants. "Whether they come for me or not, I will not give you that satisfaction."

'_What does she mean _whether_?'_ Loki thought frantically. _'Does she not know that we have found her, or –'_ Then he was hit with realization, and his anger returned twofold. _'I will make the Other pay for breaking her...but first we must save her.'_

"Now, I've had enough of your nonsense. Either cooperate with me fully, or face the consequences."

"I'll take – nngh – the latter," Echo gasped out, and Loki couldn't help but smile at her stubborn attitude. His smile was wiped off in an instant when suddenly a horrendous cracking sound erupted, and Echo screamed in pain.

"Now?" Apparently she had shaken her head, for there was a thud, a slight crack and another groan of pain. Yet another crack and Echo cried out again.

"Stop!" Steve shouted desperately, as Loki yelled at Tony again, "Come on Stark!"

"I'm trying, the lock is a little too far away!" he yelled back angrily. Before Loki could retort further, the door burst open and three men marched into the room.

They had their tranquilizer guns trained on Tony, who had frozen as soon as the door had opened. "Hand over the tools, or prepare to be shot," one man warned.

Tony's eyes narrowed, even more so when the loudest crack sounded and Echo let out an agonized yell. "All right," he said softly. "Here you go." He extended his hand out of the cage, and one man walked carefully over, the other two switching from pointing their guns at Tony to Loki and the others.

Another loud cry of pain erupted from the speaker, but Tony managed to keep still so the man wouldn't shoot. The second the man was close enough though, Tony whipped out his arm, grabbing the man's wrist tightly.

A distressed gasp made its' way to their ears; Tony's face turned to stone. With a quick twist and pull, he snapped the man's wrist mercilessly, making the guard drop the gun involuntarily.

One of the others shot at Tony, but by moving quickly, Tony was able to block the dart with the man still in his arms. The man fell down limp, and Tony swiftly reached through the bars to get the keys on his belt as Echo cried out softly.

The other man raised his gun to shoot at Tony again, when something whipped through the air and the next second the man was on the floor, a dark bruise already forming where Natasha's boot had slammed into his head. The remaining man was frozen in fear for a moment, before he bolted for the door.

The moment the door clicked shut after him, something clicked and Tony exclaimed triumphantly, "Out!" He ran out of his cage, stumbling as the effects of the serum hit him again.

Tony quickly righted himself though, as a dull thud and another cry came through the speaker. After unlocking the others' cages, he ran over to his Iron Man armor, picking up his helmet and taking the small blue tooth piece from inside.

Loki was right behind him, picking up Gungnir and feeling the power return to him. He quickly performed a simple spell to rid himself and the others of the affects of the serum, and almost immediately Bruce transformed into the Hulk with a loud roar.

"JARVIS? Man, is it good to hear your voice. Listen, tell SHIELD where we are, and tell them to get here ASAP." Tony finished salvaging through his wrecked armor, and stood up with the right glove of his suit on his arm. Holding it up, he tested it quickly, smirking as he blasted a hole in the wall.

There was a small bang from below them, and Mjölnir suddenly flew through the floor, narrowly missing Steve and Clint. Thor caught it easily in his hand, and Loki could practically feel the electricity in the air. A thunderous boom sounded in the distance, as Thor's rage created a storm outside.

There was another gasp from Echo, and Thor immediately flung Mjölnir into the steel door, creating a massive dent in it. He quickly summoned the hammer back but before he could try again, the Hulk ran at the door and easily knocked it off its' hinges.

Loki was first out the door, blasting down each door that he came across but finding nothing. As he ran, he realized that there were speakers all along the building, and winced as yet another crack filled the air.

"How about a bargain?" Phoenix's voice was soft and cruel, and Loki could imagine him standing over _his_ Echo, his mouth close to her ear as he whispered to her. A group of men suddenly ran towards Loki and the others, and he eagerly engaged, needing to vent his fury somewhere.

"I will release you...if you tell me take down SHIELD and your misfit team of heroes. I've already done half – all you need to do is become my spy and infiltrate the company." Loki listened carefully, fearing that Echo may have been too far gone, but hoping with all his might that she would remain strong.

Loki needn't have worried. Echo said as clearly she could, "I will never betray my team, no matter how much you torture me." It seemed she spit at Phoenix; he gave a cry of outrage, and then the sharp sound of a slap ricocheted out the speakers.

'_Please Echo. Don't make it worse, stop fighting.'_ But then, she gasped out, "Do your worst. I dare you."

There was silence for the longest time, and Loki blasted away one man after another as his stress overtook him. Then, Phoenix finally replied, "Very well. We'll see how tough you are after this, bitch."

In all that time, Loki and the others had not heard Echo cry out for help. She had stayed strong, acting tougher than she needed to be.

So when Loki heard her voice again, high and panicked, he truly became scared for her. His fury rose exponentially, for the gang members he was fighting, the ones torturing Echo, and especially for Phoenix.

"No, what are you doing? Let go of me! Please, DON'T DO THAT, DO–!" Her cries rose into a terrible scream, and as he heard a deep groan underneath her cry, Loki saw red as he realized what was happening to Echo.

"See what happens when you disobey me?!" Each word was accented with a grunt, and Echo cried out each time.

Loki crushed a man's neck in his rage, tossing the limp body to the ground without another thought. "I'LL KILL HIM!" He bellowed, making the other men around him cower in fear. He barely gave them time to think before blasting them all away with his scepter.

Steve punched another man so hard that he crashed through a wall after colliding into another gang member. Tony, although he only had the one glove, had shot down at least 8 men in the last 11 seconds, and his anger only strengthened him.

With Echo's cries and the man's grunts spurring them on, they take care of that group of men quickly. _'Hold on Echo,' _Loki thought, sprinting through the halls with the others. _'We're almost there.'_

* * *

Echo was in so much pain. She was back in the first room she had woken up in earlier – earlier that day, or the past day, she didn't know anymore. Her tied hands were connected yet again to the rope hanging from the ceiling, her feet barely touching the ground.

She didn't know how many bones were broken, but she knew for sure that her wrist was shattered, that being the first thing they broke. Since she was being held up _by_ her hands, Echo was forced to hold onto the rope with her other hand so as not to put any pressure on the broken one.

But by now, she barely had any strength left, blood seeping out of numerous cuts and wounds. The two biggest were the side wound that was dripping again, soaking through her shirt, and a deep cut in her right thigh.

'_Just hold on girl. You'll make it out of this...somehow,'_ Echo thought miserably.

Another deep thrust by Phoenix cut her out of her thoughts, and she weakly tried to pull herself away. "You like this bitch, don't you? You wanted this the whole time, that's why you kept fighting me."

Echo just glared at him, her eyes tired and her body growing numb, but she just shook her head, snapping out of it for a few more minutes.

"Just hold on – they'll be here any–" She cried out again as Phoenix hooked his arm under her left leg, lifting it up and plunging deeper inside her.

"Who'll be here? Your team?" He scoffed, looking down at her with a smirk. "But you doubt that yourself, don't you? Yes, you do, don't shake your head," he panted, grinning as Echo struggled against him.

"How am I supposed to believe they'll come if you don't?" He gripped her hip roughly with his other hand, holding her steady as he pounded into her.

'_I don't know...I don't know.'_ Phoenix's movements became more erratic, and Echo struggled weakly, not wanting him to finish inside her. But it's too late, and she cries out in pain and shame as he climaxes inside her, his hot cum coursing through her sore body.

'_Oh, Loki, I'm so sorry. I wish I could've been stronger.'_ Phoenix signed deeply, slowly pulling out, making Echo groan softly in pain. She closed her eyes, hanging her head as tears finally coursed down her cheeks.

He closed his pants, then rubbed Echo's cheek softly. She jerked her head away, sobbing softly. With her eyes closed, she only heard some footsteps come towards her. Suddenly someone grabbed her thighs, lifting them up and apart roughly, and she looked up with tear-filled eyes to see another man grinning down at her evilly.

"No, please don't! No more! No–" As she had tried to pull away, she felt someone behind her, and turned her head to see another man smirking at her. Her eyes widening in terror, she struggled anew, but only received a whack in the head for her trouble.

Her eyes closed against the dizziness, she felt the man in front of her get closer, and her eyes shot open as she gasped in pain when he thrust into her in one go.

Getting a fast rhythm going, he grunted with each thrust, making Echo cry out a few times when he got in deep. He moved to hold her legs even further apart, making her wince in pain, then cry out again when he began thrusting even harder and deeper.

Echo's head began to loll on her chest, starting to lose the fight to stay conscious, darkness creeping to the edges of her sight. Someone slapped her in the face, and her eyes stayed open long enough to see Phoenix.

He was smirking at her, although the hatred burning in his eyes was clear. He motioned to someone, and then Echo felt two more hands on her hips from behind. With a jolt, she remembered the man who had been standing behind her.

Echo felt something hard against her backside, and barely had time to prepare herself for the shock before she was penetrated from behind. She let out a scream of pain, feeling the fresh blood drip down her legs to join the old.

At first she was jostled around a bit, until the men developed a similar rhythm, each grunting horribly as they thrust into her. Finally giving up the fight, the pain being too much and having lost a lot of blood, Echo's body grew limp and she allowed the darkness to overtake her.

* * *

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Loki roared. He had managed to catch the fool after he had hesitated before running when Loki had knocked down the door. The man just babbled hysterically, and Loki slammed the man against the wall, effectively making him quiet.

"I repeat," Loki's voice could barely be heard, low and dangerous. "_Where – is – she_?"

"Down the hall, turn right and go up the stairs. She'll be in the first room on your left, with Phoenix and the others. Please, let me go!" He cried, nearly sobbing in his fright.

Loki scoffed in disgust, landing a solid punch in the man's face before letting him drop to the ground. They do not hear Echo or Phoenix anymore, but they do not know if that is because the speaker is off or the torture is done.

All Loki knew, was that before the silence, he had heard Echo begin to cry. _'I swear, Echo, I will make him pay for what he's done to you.'_

Loki led the way around the corner, and he saw the stairs before them, but then growled low as at least 40 men ran down the steps towards them. Suddenly a horrifying scream ripped through the air, making Loki see red again, and Thor bellowed to him, "Go!"

Natasha shouted, "We'll take care of them!" as she fired shot after shot into the mob of men, effectively creating a path for Loki. He needed no further persuading, blasting and pushing his way past the men.

Sprinting up the steps, he noticed Steve, Tony and Clint right beside him, and they all clear the top step together. The entire hallway was filled with men armed to the teeth, but to Loki they could have been ants for how easily he defeated them.

Letting out one frustrated yell, he gathered his energy with Gungnir and blasted all of them away in one shot, watching them crumple against the opposite wall from the force of the blast with satisfaction.

Smirking slightly at the others' look of amazement, he sprinted the remaining length and dashed into the room. The sight that greeted them was horrifying and literally made them freeze for barely a second.

Echo was hanging from her hands from the ceiling, her wrists tied with rope, one of them extremely bruised. Her t-shirt was stained with blood, and the side of her face was bruised too. Her left leg was hanging in an unnatural way, making them assume it was broken, while the other was seeping blood from a dreadful looking wound in her thigh.

The worst part was that she was being raped brutally by two men, her pants thrown to the side. The skin they could see was blue and purple from bruises, with thin and some not so thin lines of red where she had been cut and whipped.

Loki caught sight of her face, and was terrified to see that she was unconscious, hanging there limply as her tormenters continued to abuse her even in her state.

Roaring like an enraged animal, Loki lifted his scepter and blasted away the first men who charged at him without even trying. Steve and Clint jumped into the mob, punching here, delivering a hard kick there, leaving Tony and Loki to get Echo.

The two men who had been raping Echo at the time had closed their pants, leaving Echo hanging behind them, and charged. They never had a chance – Tony took care of one with a quick blast straight through the chest, and Loki almost casually cracked the neck of the other, leaving him to fall to the ground by himself.

When Loki turned back towards Echo, he became enraged and terrified to see Phoenix holding a gun against Echo's front, just below her ribs. Steve, Clint, Tony and Loki froze, not wanting him to fire, and Loki said coldly, "Release her, and we may spare your miserable lives."

"Allow us to leave, or else she dies," Phoenix replied smoothly. He readied the gun after that statement, and Loki stepped forward instinctively before stopping himself.

Steve suddenly spoke, his entire body radiating authority and rage, and said firmly, "You will _release her_, or we will kill you." Loki was surprised to hear these words come from the usually merciful Captain, but one look at his face showed the anger that he felt toward Echo's tormentors.

Loki turned his gaze back on Phoenix, who was still glaring at them, but he was pleased to see that a bit of fear had crept into his eyes. The men around him were definitely ready to flee, only the authority and greater fear of Phoenix and the Other making them stay and face the Avengers.

Loki stated tightly, "We repeat only once more. Either step away from Echo, or we will take evasive action."

Phoenix narrowed his eyes, the fear still apparent in his face, and Loki held his breath. Suddenly an insane smile crossed the man's face, and he said calmly, "Then take action."

To Loki, it was as if the scene unfolded in slow motion – he saw Phoenix's finger pull the trigger, heard the gunshot a second later, and suddenly Echo's eyes burst open, gasping in pain as the new wound began to flow with blood.

Loki lunged forward with inhuman speed, grabbing Phoenix by the front of his shirt, and hissed at him, "I will kill you, but be sure that I will not be merciful. I will torture you, keeping you alive but just barely for as long as possible, making it excruciatingly painful to be alive. I promise you that you will be begging me to end your miserable life, but I will not grant you that request until I feel you have finally paid for your crime."

Landing a solid punch into Phoenix's face, Loki dropped the now unconscious man, and turned towards the rest of the men. "You will surrender and turn yourself into the custody of SHIELD, or you may fight and be assured that I will kill you swiftly and mercilessly."

They immediately fell to their knees, and Steve quickly ordered them to get out of the building, where SHIELD agents would be waiting for them. Loki quickly ran to Echo, Tony joining him a second later.

Her face was very pale, and she gave quick gasps of pain, attempting to stay conscious. Her eyes were glazed over, and when Loki attempted to speak to her, she only looked at him with a confused expression.

Cupping Echo's cheek, Loki tried to get some sort of reaction out of her, but she only closed her eyes, her breathing shallow. "Echo, please, say something. Tony, help me get her down!"

Tearing off his cloak, Loki carefully wrapped it around her waist, not wanting her to be indecent any longer. Gathering her gently in his arms, bridal style, he held her weight when Tony cut through the rope.

At his touch, Echo winced and gasped softly in pain, and Loki was horrified as Tony lifted her shirt slightly to see the wounds on both of her sides. "Tear off a piece from my cloak, and try to staunch the bleeding."

When Loki called out her name again, Echo slowly opened her eyes. She looked around with blank eyes, her breathing quick as she fought the pain, and a few tears leaked out of Loki's eyes.

Tony finished tying the cloth around Echo's sides, and looked into Echo's face saying, "Echo. You have to stay with us honey." She looked up at him with dull eyes, but nodded ever so slightly, still disoriented but finally responding.

"Just keep her awake," he instructed Loki, before motioning for them to follow him out of the door. They made it to the stairs without trouble, and began walking quickly down the steps.

Loki walked as smoothly as he could, looking back at Echo whose eyes were clenched tight, gasping from the pain. He quickly said, "No, Echo, you can't go to sleep yet. I know it's cruel, but you must stay awake."

She nodded ever so slightly, forcing her eyes to remain open, focusing on his face for a moment. Then a look of dawning crossed her face, and she whispered, "Loki...?"

Loki could only sigh in relief, laughing softly, "Yes, it's me, Echo. I'm here."

Tears filled her eyes, and she said shakily, "I'm...sorry. I...tried..to be strong...but then...he...I'm...broke...couldn't..."

Loki put a gentle finger against her lips, shushing her effectively, and looked deep into her eyes. "No, you did wonderfully. We have never been so proud of you – you were stronger than you should have been, and you did all you could."

"We are here for you now, but you must stay awake until we are able to get you help. Just stay awake, please."

"Ok," was all she managed to say before another wave of pain wracked her body. Loki saw her close her eyes again, tears escaping through the corners of her eyes.

What had happened to his little warrior-maiden? Looking at her bruised and tear-streaked face, so frail and broken, he hoped with all his might that they could still save her.

* * *

**Holy smokes, this is a long one. :P So, someone obviously watched 'Sherlock Holmes 2' before writing this. Yes, that's where the speakers' idea came from. It was just so deliciously cruel to make them listen, I'm sorry.**

_**And **_**I know you all have many reasons to hate me right now – the torture Echo was put through, and how I ended the chapter – and if I was reading this I would be very emotional in my review, I assure you. Hopefully I haven't broken your hearts too badly beyond repair (that has happened to me numerous times with fics, hehe), but I promise it'll get better in time. :)**

**Hope to hear from you! I'll be updating on Sunday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Oh my gosh, you guys don't know how evil you made me feel with your latest reviews. I swear, I was laughing so hard at some of your reactions. I had to hire bodyguards because a few people lunged at me in their anger. ;P Oh goodness, you're the best. :D As always, much love to my readers, to those who've reviewed – Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, iamdelilah – and to those who've favorited/followed. Enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

"_We are here for you now, but you must stay awake until we are able to get you help. Just stay awake, please."_

"_Ok," was all she managed to say before another wave of pain wracked her body. Loki saw her close her eyes again, tears escaping through the corners of her eyes._

_What had happened to his little warrior-maiden? Looking at her bruised and tear-streaked face, so frail and broken, he hoped with all his might that they could still save her._

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Loki heard the others' cry out at the sight of Echo bleeding in his arms. Looking up, he saw the hallway was filled with unconscious men, his teammates' standing where he had left them earlier.

Natasha wore an unreadable expression, but the way her hands clenched until her knuckles were white revealed how angry she actually was. Bucky stood beside her in a similar state, although his fury was written clearly across his face. A loud crack of thunder sounded from outside as Thor's rage got the best of him, and the Hulk punched a wall with a roar.

"Hey, big guy, calm down," Tony called out, walking forward cautiously. The Hulk turned to him with an incredulous look, and Tony quickly said, "I know you're upset, but we need Bruce _right now_. Or else she might not make it," he finished softly, nodding back to Echo.

Loki watched as the Hulk was obviously at war with himself – or perhaps, with Bruce – before punching the wall one last time and then standing completely still. After a few moments, the Hulk winced and slowly shrunk until Bruce was standing in front of them again.

It was a process Loki never grew tired of seeing. Whereas transforming _into_ the Hulk looked painful, the reverse seemed to be the opposite. The huge muscles would reduce in size in stages, as the Hulk slowly returned to Bruce's height. It was as if he was relaxing, and all the tension left his body in small increments...which was actually an astute analysis.

Thankfully, Tony and Bruce had created elastic pants for him, so Bruce was no longer naked every time he turned back into his human form. He quickly ran over to Tony and Loki, and Loki looked down at Echo in worry.

Her condition was deteriorating, as it was becoming harder for her to keep her eyes open. She was breathing in short, quick gasps, the pain and blood loss from her numerous wounds taking their tolls on her body.

Tightening his grip on her slightly, Loki ordered gruffly, "Stark, Banner, take hold of my arms. I will be teleporting, for as you said, she does not have much time." Tony and Bruce immediately placed a hand on his shoulders, and Loki concentrated in order to make the trip as smooth as he could.

Natasha suddenly came into his line of vision, and he raised an eyebrow as she put a hand on his arm as well. She merely said, "I have been trained in the medical field. You're going to need all the help you can get."

Her expression did not change, but Loki felt there was more to her reasoning than she let on. However, that was not of the most importance at the moment.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Loki nodded curtly, then closed his eyes while imagining the Tower. As he felt the familiar pull of his magic, he focused on Echo's breathing.

Everything was dark for a moment, then the world flew by in a blur before stopping just as suddenly as they landed on the top balcony.

The others were a bit wobbly due to the strange sensation, but Loki immediately strode inside rapidly. However, by the time he reached the elevator, Tony, Bruce and Natasha were right behind him again.

Bruce pushed the button to the medical bay insistently, and the air was extremely tense in the elevator. Natasha still had that blank expression as she gazed on Echo's pained face, but it seemed to Loki that she was fighting with herself – about what, he hadn't the slightest.

As he tried to figure it out, he was suddenly aware of the stifling silence and looked down at Echo. Loki was horrified to see her pale face slack, her eyes closed as the fight to stay conscious ended. "Echo? Echo, please open your eyes. You can't go to sleep. Echo? Echo!"

Loki was panicking, his arms trembling as he attempted to wake Echo back up. Bruce leaned over as Echo's eyes fluttered open for a second, her eyes glazed over as she looked up at him wearily.

Her eyes closed again, and Loki saw her lips moving but couldn't hear what she was saying. Raising his arms so her mouth was beside his ear, he heard, "I feel...so cold."

Terrified, he held her in the old position, telling Bruce in a shaky voice, "She said she was cold."

His forehead creasing in worry, Bruce felt her forehead and then took his hand off a second later, saying that she was burning up. "But, how can she feel cold and be hot? What does that mean?"

Bruce's answer did nothing to calm Loki, only succeeding in making him feel worse. "It means we're running out of time." The elevator finally dinged as it arrived at the right floor, and they practically ran through the hallways in their haste.

Echo started trembling, her teeth chattering even as her cheeks turned slightly red from the fever. Loki held her more firmly, willing her to hold on, fighting back tears of fear.

Looking down at her, his eyes take in her appearance. She was pale, having lost and still losing a lot of blood, and her face was beaded with sweat, although her teeth click from the cold she felt.

Her eyes were closed, brows furrowing every now and then as she winced in pain, her chest was heaving as she took deliberate but quick breaths. His heart wrenching even more, Loki realized she was slightly curled in his arms, pressing up against his body subconsciously.

They practically fly into the medical bay, where Bruce readied all of his instruments and medicines frantically, grabbing a spare lab coat so he was no longer bare-chested.

Patting Echo's cheek lightly, Loki attempted to wake her back up, but she was no longer responsive. Her chest barely moved when she breathed, and Loki found himself getting dizzy as his panic began to overpower him.

"Loki!" Bruce's firm voice cut through his thoughts, and Loki immediately brought his head up to look at the doctor. "If you want to help, you'll have to focus. If not, then get out."

Loki snapped out of it, hearing the worry underneath the ferocity of Bruce's voice, realizing that they were all scared about losing Echo. They worked fast – Natasha placed an oxygen mask over Echo's mouth and nose before setting up an IV for the blood transfusion, as Bruce sterilized all the medical tools he would need to mend Echo's wounds.

Tony and Loki cleaned and took note of the many wounds Echo had, Loki needing to gather all his strength not to break down as one wound after another was revealed. "Broken wrist and shallow knife wound on upper right arm," Loki stated, wiping the dried blood from her arm gently.

"There are two gashes along her left arm," Tony said clearly, his expression pained as he cleaned the harsh looking cuts.

Loki raised Echo gently off the bed as Tony removed her shirt to see the extent of her biggest wounds. She was left in her black sports bra, her lower area still covered by Loki's cloak. Loki had to close his eyes and take a deep breath before continuing with his examination. _'So much blood.'_

"Deep stab wound on her left side, but blood flow slowing." _'Thank goodness,'_ Loki thought in relief as he cleaned and placed bandages over the wound to staunch the bleeding even more.

"Gunshot wound on her right side, just below the ribs." Tony examined it closer, the strained expression ever present on his face, before saying, "Bullet went straight through, so wound will close."

Rolling the cloak up a bit to reveal her legs, Loki said while feeling along her bones gently, "Left leg broken – specifically her tibia."

"Shallow stab wound in thigh on right leg," Tony finished cleaning the cut, then looked down with a heavy sigh.

Loki looked at Echo's body sadly, now devoid of blood (other than the seeping bandages on both of her sides), but littered with red cuts and ugly bruises both big and small. Knowing they were far from done, Loki cleared his mind and got to work with the others.

* * *

After many hours of stitching wounds, setting bones, and wrapping cuts and the smaller gashes, Loki and the others had finally collapsed beside Echo's bed only ten minutes earlier. Loki was exhausted, but he could only imagine how Bruce must feel for he had been the one stitching and binding while the others had to hold Echo down.

Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead as he remembered how Echo had woken up suddenly, gasping for air, then had begun thrashing around. She could not be calmed, and when Loki caught her eyes, they were of her alter-ego, black as midnight.

Tony, Natasha and Loki had had to use practically all their strength to keep her still enough for Bruce to continue his delicate stitching. Loki had tried soothing her, but nothing had helped. In the end, they had had to give her a sedative, in order for her to sleep and allow her wounds to begin healing.

Steve and the others had appeared after a couple hours, having finished gathering up the gang members and Phoenix with SHIELD. That bastard was locked away in one of their deepest vaults, awaiting the terrible sentence he so rightly deserved.

Death was too kind for someone like him. Loki could not wait to dole out the punishments, but Echo's condition was his top priority at the moment.

Blinking, bringing himself back to the present, Loki looked over at the others who were all relaxing after that terrible ordeal.

Then a distressed gasp cut into the silence, and he snapped his head over to see Echo's face scrunch up in pain before her eyes popped open, the same pitch black as before. She looked around frantically, although her eyes were blank and unseeing, and she gripped the sheets beside her, beginning to panic.

"Shh, Echo, it's all right. Go back to sleep," Loki raised himself out of the chair, reaching forward to take Echo's uninjured hand in his.

At the slight contact however, she suddenly jerked upright, then collapsed on her back as the pain from her movement hit her full-force. Loki and Tony immediately jumped, holding her down firmly before she could rip any more stitches.

New tears squeezed out from behind her eyelids as the pain increased with her struggles. "Please...let me go!" Her broken sob made Loki's heart clench painfully, but he did not let up on his grip on Echo.

Tony, on the other hand, was obviously having trouble with Echo's distress. As she cried out again he said softly, "I can't do this."

Loki, at his whisper, immediately snarled, "You must be strong for her. The pain you feel can barely be compared to the torture she was put through. I know _exactly_ how she feels, but rather than hide from my memories, I will use my experience to help her heal. Now control yourself, and keep her still!"

Tony gaped at Loki for a long moment, his mouth open at the ferocity of his statement. Even Loki was surprised at his outburst, but he kept his thoughts hidden, glaring at Tony across Echo's writhing body. Shaking his head, he blinked then nodded at Loki as he held Echo more firmly.

As she struggled against their restraining arms, Bruce shouted at Natasha to ready another sedative, he himself readying his tools once again. Loki sighed inwardly, knowing that it would be a long night, and wishing beyond hope that Echo would be able to heal after all this suffering.

* * *

**Well, this is a bit shorter, especially when compared to the last one, but I hope it was still good! And I managed to finish it earlier too! That's always nice, ehehe. ;P  
**

**OH! Before I forget – I suppose I should have said this much earlier, (oops, hehe), but I do allow anonymous reviews. A few of my friends were asking, since they're not writers and don't have a FF account. So, yeah, just putting that out there, in case some of y'all were wondering. :D**

**Once more, I cannot say how much you guys made me laugh with your reactions – thanks again, I needed that. :D I'll be updating on Thursday. Until then! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter as promised! Thanks to all my readers, to those who've reviewed lately - Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, truelovealwaysprevails – and to those who've favorited/followed my story too of course! I'm a little unsure with this chapter, but hopefully it's good enough. Enjoy!**

* * *

Loki sat beside his unconscious lover, heart wrenching at the sight of her frail body connected to all those wires and tubes, the monitor beeping ever so slowly, her chest barely moving with each breath she took. Feeling tears threaten to spill out, he angrily wiped them away, then went to hold one of her hands, keeping his eyes on her face, looking for any other sign of life.

The first three days – after she had been rescued from those bastards who Loki and the others still had to deal with for putting her through such torture – were terrible, spent keeping her alter-ego restrained, and listening to her cries of pain as they replaced bandages and re-stitched wounds that she had torn when she struggled. And _those screams..._throughout the day and night as she was plagued by nightmares of what had been done to her.

She never awoke completely however, her eyes always the blackest night when they opened, and Loki feared that he may never see those warm chocolate brown again. Then two days ago, she had given a small groan of pain, then suddenly gone quiet and still, making the others panic, but Bruce told them that they couldn't lose hope, and they just had to wait it out.

Loki had been doing just that, never leaving her side although the others told him that he was just torturing himself. When they did kick him out of the room, ordering him to take a shower and eat properly, he merely sat outside the door until they gave in and allowed him to go back in.

That was where he was at that moment. His back against the wall, Loki sat facing the door to the medical bay, staring off into space. Two hours earlier, Steve had literally taken him by his collar, and dragged him out of the room despite his many protests.

His fingers tapping insistently against his knee, he waited impatiently for Bruce to leave the room after checking on Echo again. Loki's biggest worry was that Echo may wake up and Loki would not be there for her.

Just then the door opened, and Loki immediately looked up at the doctor, desperation shining openly through his expression. After a few seconds of staring at him, Bruce sighed resignedly, holding the door open.

Loki immediately scrambled to his feet, and walked to the door. "Thank you," he murmured, but Bruce only shook his head with a small smile before walking away to the elevator.

Loki walked slowly to Echo's side, for the sight of her in such a state was one he would never get used to. Sitting down in the chair Bruce had left for him, Loki reached out and gently held Echo's uninjured hand in his.

Rubbing her hand softly, he took in all of her bruises, cuts, and wounds, the slight rise and fall of her chest, and closed his eyes in grief, wishing he hadn't been so harsh on her earlier, and perhaps none of this would have happened. Smiling softly, he remembered when he had first laid eyes on her, both knowing...and then again not, that this young lady would be the one to break down the walls he had so carefully placed around himself, hiding effectively from everyone else.

Thinking of how much Echo had changed him – making him drop his guard, so that his feelings were so apparent to everyone; showing him that he could still be forgiven after all he had done – Loki felt the dam of tears that he had been keeping back all this time begin to crack. Leaving a small kiss on Echo's forehead, Loki finally allowed the tears to spill over.

Keeping his grip on Echo's hand, Loki covered his eyes with the other, his elbow leaning on the bed and shoulders shaking slightly from his tears. "Oh Echo, I'm – I'm lost without you. You restored my faith in others, helped me to trust another person again, taught me to let them in and not be so afraid of betrayal again. I've let you in, farther than I let any other person...and now that I may lose you, I cannot fathom living my life without you."

Loki regained his composure slightly, though kept his eyes covered as he sniffed harshly, knowing that if he saw how broken Echo was again he would truly break down. He tightened his grip on Echo's hand slightly, not noticing the extremely faint movement of her fingers.

"Now that you've entered my life, I cannot imagine what it would be like without you. I did not understand until now how _important_ you are to me, how much I...love you–" The realization hit him with a jolt, and Loki lifted his head in amazement. Staring ahead, he repeated softly, "How much I _love_ you. I _love_ you."

Loki suddenly became aware of the hand in his shifting to grasp his own more firmly, and then heard the smallest of coughs. His tear-filled eyes landed on Echo's face, and he nearly collapsed in joy as he saw the warm chocolate brown eyes looking back at him. A small pure smile graced the lips of his lover, and her eyes shone with unshed tears.

Loki yelled out with delight, the sound echoing across the quiet room, ecstatic that Echo had finally awoken. Grabbing her face gently, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He released her long enough to run to the intercom, and pressing the button to reach all levels, he shouted joyfully, "ECHO'S AWAKE!"

As he ran back to Echo's side, she wore a bewildered expression, a small amused smile on her face. Chuckling softly, Loki caressed her cheek, saying, "Oh Echo, I'm so sorry. I was such a fool. I love you so much. I love you, I love you–" He continued the mantra, closing the distance between them until their lips were barely touching. "_I love you_."

He captured her lips in a searing kiss, attempting to show Echo how much she meant to him. All the worry that he had felt those past few days, all the emotions he had kept locked away, were now flowing into that kiss.

Loki didn't take not of how long they were in that heated embrace, but a small embarrassed cough broke into the silence, and Loki pulled away from Echo. Her cheeks were flushed, pupils dilated, and she was inhaling deeply as she tried to catch her breath. '_I suppose I should've given her more room to breathe_,' he thought with a mischievous grin. Turning towards the door, Loki saw the other Avengers standing just inside the room.

Bruce and Steve's cheeks were red; both were obviously mortified at catching them in such a private moment. Thor, Bucky, and Natasha were beaming at them, and Loki swore he saw tears in Natasha's eyes.

The rogues Clint and Tony, on the other hand, were smirking impishly at him. Tony wagged his finger at them, while Clint mouthed "PDA," with a naughty grin. A small laugh escaped Loki's lips at their reactions, and the awkward silence was broken.

Natasha, to everyone's surprise, ran over and captured Echo in a hug, minding the tubes connected to her. She sat with Echo in her arms for a moment, rocking slightly and obviously straining to keep her tears at bay.

When Natasha released her, Echo looked completely confused but managed a small smile. Only Loki noticed the slight lines on her forehead, and the way she held herself, revealing the stress she was feeling at that moment. He would have to talk with Bruce about that later on.

Looking back at Natasha, Loki was amazed to see a tear streak down her cheek, never having seen her cry before. From the others' expressions, although perhaps not Clint, they were as shocked as Loki, but they wisely kept their mouths shut.

Bruce then stepped forward, getting into doctor mode as he asked Echo gently, "How are you feeling Echo?"

Echo tried to speak, but after all that screaming her voice was nearly gone. "O–ok, I guess," she managed to say, wincing at her scratchy throat.

As Bruce checked her vitals and readied his materials to check Echo's wounds later, the others inched closer. Loki sat on the edge of Echo's bed, holding her hand in his for comfort, and Steve took the empty chair. "You had us really worried, Echo," Steve said softly, eyes full of relief as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking into her lap sadly. A second later she raised her head again as Thor boomed, "There is no need to apologize. You are not at fault for anything that occurred. You were forced to face an old enemy, but you are not to blame for our capture."

From behind Thor, Loki saw Bruce shake his head furiously, gesturing to quiet Thor. Loki looked back at Echo to see that she was becoming distressed, and he immediately cut in, "That is all in the past now. Must we continue to talk about it?"

Staring at Thor sternly, Loki saw that he understood as his expression grew worried. Thor glanced at Echo, and said quickly, "Forgive me. At times I speak my mind without thinking of the consequences." Echo just smiled sadly, motioning that it was all right.

"All right, Echo, I'll be changing your bandages and checking you over." Looking at her seriously, Bruce said firmly, "If you'd like anyone to leave, you have every right to say so. No-one will get upset, ok?"

For a moment she lay against the pillows without a word, thinking the question over. Then she gave that same hesitant smile, and whispered, "I'm fine...but if anyone wants to leave, they can. I'm not–" She coughed slightly before continuing, "I'm not forcing anyone to stay."

Bruce looked over at the others, but meeting similar determined expressions, he sighed, "All right. You can change your mind at any time."

Loki and Tony helped Bruce change the binds on her sides, and he managed not to wince as the wounds were uncovered. He heard Bucky and Clint suck in a breath, as they hadn't seen the wounds up close yet, and when he glanced up Loki saw a pained expression on his brother's face.

Bruce checked the stitches on both sides, and then gestured for Loki and Tony to replace the bandages as he looked over her broken leg and wrist.

When the checkup was over, Loki noticed that Echo was trying hard to keep from crying. It seemed Bruce noticed as well. "Echo needs to rest now, and _you_ need to get clean," he said, pointing at Loki. "I'm sure she doesn't want to smell you any longer."

Outraged at the insult, Loki was about to retort when he glanced at Echo's face. A small laugh had escaped her, and although there were still tears in her eyes, a small smile graced her lips. Bruce was smirking at him, content with himself, but Loki just rolled his eyes at him. '_I'll get my revenge, doctor._'

The others filed out little by little, until only Bruce and Loki were left. Leaving a small kiss on her lips, Loki promised, "I'll only be a moment's time away. Bruce will watch over you. If you need me, all you need to do is call." Echo nodded slowly, her eyes heavy as the pain medication she was given began to take its toll on her. He kissed her once more on the forehead, and then left to take care of some unfinished business.

* * *

"_**I will kill you, but be sure that I will not be merciful."**_

Phoenix forced his head to turn away, panting at the effort, eyes clenched shut so that he wouldn't have to see the furious face glaring at him. An external force – _fucking magic_ – gripped his body, and he felt his head being forced to face forward again.

Without warning, an electric shock coursed through his body, and he writhed in the chair he was tied to, a scream ready to rip through his throat. Then, as suddenly as it started, the terrible feeling stopped and Phoenix gasped for breath.

"Won't you scream for me?" A low, silky voice mocked, and Phoenix could just picture the cruel smile that he was sure was on that pale face. A shiver went down his spine when chilly fingers closed around his neck, cool breath against his ear as the voice continued, "Not even a high shriek? It's all I would expect from you, a pathetic excuse of a man!"

The fingers tightened around his windpipe suddenly, and he desperately tried to pull away. "It would be so easy to crush your neck until it was flat, to hear the satisfying crunch of your spine breaking, to watch the light leave your eyes, but I feel that would be too forgiving of a death for you. And I will _never_ forgive you for what you've done to my Echo." The hand released his throat, and Phoenix coughed harshly as air filled his lungs again.

"Now, let's try this again. Won't you _scream_ for me?" Another jolt of electricity severed through his muscles, and Phoenix could taste blood as he bit his tongue to keep from shouting in pain. After another minute, the shock ended, and Phoenix would have collapsed if he wasn't tied against the chair.

His head throbbed – hell his whole body throbbed – from the beating he had taken. The God of Thunder, the good Captain and that soldier had been very thorough in their punishment, punching him as he hung from the ceiling similarly to Echo.

_Like a damn punching bag. He hadn't given them the satisfaction of crying out. Even when the soldier had broken his nose and then punched him again in the same place repeatedly. Even when the Captain had turned his chest black and blue with rapid punches as he vented out his anger. Even when the God had broken at least three of his ribs with a solid punch into his side. He had not cried out._

Another shock went through his body, in short spurts which nearly drove him nuts. Just when he thought to expect another jolt, the pattern would change, and he'd be shocked without a warning. He was just about to shout, his mouth open and all, when the jolts stopped and he was able to swallow the scream again.

_Then the infamous Iron Man and the doctor had had their turn with him. His shirt arms and pants were in bloody tatters, due to all the cuts and gashes they had given him. They had done so with such precision that it had taken nearly all his willpower not to yell in pain._

_And he was sure they had coated the knives with some sort of saltwater mixture, for each slice still burned with a fiery passion. Before they had left, they had each stabbed him in such a way so that he would be in extreme pain, but not die from blood loss until much later. "That's for Echo, you bastard," was spat at him by Stark, right before the door slammed shut._

"_**I will torture you, keeping you alive but just barely for as long as possible, making it excruciatingly painful to be alive."**_

There was a crude stench in the air, and Phoenix felt a wave of nausea pass over him as he realized it was his own flesh burning. He struggled against his bonds weakly, but his already chafed skin rubbed against the ropes and he moaned quietly at the pain.

"I can see from your face that this is getting too much for you. Giving up so soon? And here I thought you'd be more fun to play with." Phoenix just kept his eyes shut, still refusing to look at his tormentor. "Let's make this more exciting then, shall we?"

The next bolts of electricity seem to carve through his insides, crackling around each of his cuts both big and small before delving under his skin. The amount of energy used this time was a great deal larger than before, and Phoenix frantically prayed for it to end soon.

_The archer and the spy had been more brutal than Phoenix thought they could be. But, after seeing the cold glint in their eyes as they looked down at him, he knew that it was all fueled by fury._

_They had systematically broken his wrists, legs, and arms in ways so that the pain was drawn out as long as possible. He could feel the strain, felt the pop under his skin before he heard the snap or crack in real time. Twisting his joints backwards, they made sure that he felt every single break in the miniscule bones of his wrists. Even then, he bit his lip until it bled, but he refused to cry out._

When his body continued to shudder from the electricity coursing through his body, and he could feel his organs threatening to burst under the pressure; when the pain finally became too much, Phoenix couldn't control himself any longer.

"_**I promise you that you will be begging me to end your miserable life, but I will not grant you that request until I feel you have finally paid for your crime."**_

"PLEASE, PLEASE STOP!" To his amazement, the torture actually stopped, and he heard footsteps approach before they stopped in front of him. A hand came out and gripped his chin tightly, and he could only offer a feeble tug in response.

"What a pathetic mortal. To think you were able to capture my team and I – but we all know the truth now. You had help from an old enemy, whom I also have to deal with once I'm through with you."

Phoenix whimpered as his head was shaken roughly, the voice commanding, "Why do you keep your eyes closed? Do you believe I will be no more than a nightmare if you do not see me? Open your eyes!"

Fearing more torture, Phoenix slowly opened his eyes – and then nearly closed them again when he saw he was face to face with Loki. A cruel grin crossed his face as he saw Phoenix's fear, and he mocked, "Do I _frighten_ you? _Good_."

Phoenix relaxed slightly when his chin was released, but watched warily as Loki turned his back to him. His panic rose again when Loki turned back, a sharp dagger glinting in his hand. "Do you know what I wish to do with you? I want to slice open your stomach and rip out each organ by hand as you still live. I want to carve open your chest, cut out your heart, and feed it to you as it still pumps your warm blood."

Loki's voice had become a low growl by the end, and Phoenix could only sit frozen in fear as he watched the God walk towards him. Bending over so that they were face-to-face again, Phoenix looked with terrified eyes as a grim smile crossed Loki's face. "But no matter what I do to you, I feel it would never be enough to exact my full revenge for Echo. So, this will have to do."

Without warning, he plunged the dagger hilt deep into Phoenix's stomach, making him gasp more in surprise than pain. Then the agony hit as Loki twisted the dagger first to the left, then to the right, before withdrawing and stabbing him again.

Leaving the knife deep in his stomach, Phoenix watched with heavy eyes as Loki walked to the door. He watched as Loki turned once more to glare at him, and then he blinked and Loki was gone. Leaving him to die slowly and painfully, completely alone.

It seemed he had been alone for just a few minutes when Phoenix felt a familiar presence nearby. Coughing slightly, he managed to call softly, "Master?"

'_You stupid fool. I left you but for a moment, and you were not able to keep things under control for me?'_

"Please, Master, save me. I know you have the power," Phoenix sobbed, feeling his life slip away with each drop of blood that fell to the ground beneath him.

'_Yes, I have the power._' Phoenix felt a glimmer of hope at those words, but his spirit was slowly crushed as the Other continued. '_But you failed me, mortal. You allowed the Avengers and Loki to get away. You had captured them so nicely for me, but no sooner did I leave then they were able to escape! So, no, I will not save you. This is all you deserve for failing me.'_

Before Phoenix could say another word, he felt a jolt of energy within his skull. The next instant he was dead, blood trickling out of his ears as his chin rested on his chest. _'Foolish mortal, believing I would be merciful.'_

'_As for Loki and the others, let them rest for now. It will only make their fear, when they realize I still hunt them, even more satisfying.'_

* * *

**Phew, that's over with! So, how were the revenge scenes? Loki was a bit gruesome at some parts, I admit – but then again, his lover was tortured, so of course he was going to be cruel! Anyways, I hope I did at least an OK job, and I'll be updating again on Monday! Have a good weekend everyone! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**OK, here I go. These next few chapters will be tricky, but hopefully they're...decent? I can't find the right word, hmm. Just bear with me, and let me know how it's going. Thanks again to those who've reviewed – Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, Orchard94 – to all my fantastic readers, followers, and who've favorited my story! It makes me so happy! :D**

**All righty, here's the next chapter! :)**

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"She seemed extremely tense after Natasha hugged her. She's never been adverse to touch before – she actually _sought_ it most of the time. What has happened?" Loki whispered, taking care not to wake his lover in the other room.

After making himself decent again, Loki had immediately gone back down to the medical bay. Bruce had still been with Echo, who had managed to fall asleep finally, and Loki took the opportunity to ask the doctor a few questions. Leaning against the doorframe of the room, Loki listened carefully to Bruce's explanations.

"She's gone through this terrible trauma, and of course there are going to be repercussions of what was done to her," Bruce sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily. "You've seen the physical effects already, but only a few of the psychological effects have made themselves known. One, as you've noticed as well," Bruce motioned to Loki, "is her avoiding touch."

"Another that she's already had trouble with are nightmares and flashbacks, even before this intense torture. We have to be ready to help her calm down when that happens again, as I'm sure they will." Peeking in at the sleeping figure on the bed, Bruce said softly, "The most important thing is to let her know that she's in a safe place, and that we are going to be there _for_ and _with_ her every step of the way to her recovery."

* * *

Natasha slipped quietly into the room, coming to relieve Loki after he had spent the past day and night watching over Echo. They had decided that each Avenger would take turns looking after Echo each day, and then Loki would return to her during the night. Naturally Loki hadn't liked it, for it included him leaving Echo for a time, but in the end he agreed.

He looked up tiredly at the sound of her footsteps, and Natasha couldn't help but be amazed at how clearly Loki's emotions were displayed on his face. So vulnerable and scared – so very different from the mad God who had attacked New York only two years earlier.

Clearing her throat, Natasha said firmly, "I can look over her for a bit. You go and rest – you're no good to her exhausted." Loki managed a small smile and stood up slowly, his back cracking with each little movement. Walking past her to the door, Natasha watched as he paused to turn back, saying, "Thank you. If anything happens, I'll be here in an instant."

Natasha nodded, and at that Loki left. She listened until she could no longer hear his footsteps down the hall, then turned back to see Echo blinking awake. Sighing, Natasha took Loki's seat and placed her clasped hands on the bed in front of her.

Echo seemed confused of her surroundings for a moment, until she caught sight of Natasha. Raising her less injured arm, she wiped her eyes slowly before turning a blank expression on Natasha. After a few seconds, Natasha decided to break the silence.

"How are you feeling?" A flash of pain and worry went across Echo's face, Natasha catching sight of it immediately but saying nothing about it. "Do you need me to get you anything?"

Echo shook her head slowly, saying softly, "I'm OK. I don't need anything – nothing will help anyways." She closed her eyes again, laying her head back on the pillow as she struggled to control her emotions.

Natasha was having a similar fight with herself, for every fiber in her wanted to hold Echo and will away all the pain she had suffered. She had known that Echo wouldn't want to be touched after all that, but at seeing her responsive again, she hadn't been able to hold back that hug.

What no-one other than Clint, Fury and Maria knew was that Natasha had been tortured before joining SHIELD indefinitely. Clint had helped her out of a tight spot, but once her old boss found out that she was leaning towards becoming an agent, they had tried to force her back to their side.

In the end, Clint had been the one to save her, both literally and figuratively, helping her heal after that traumatic incident. Seeing Echo's frail body in Loki's arms that day had brought all the memories flooding back. For a moment she remembered herself in that position, Clint's arms around her as he carried her away from that terrible place.

She would never have wished for that to happen to anyone else, least of all any of her teammates. Of course, it would then happen to their youngest and newest member.

Blinking, Natasha came back to the present. Keeping herself from brushing Echo's hair back, knowing it would do more harm than good, she said firmly, "That's no way to think. Of course nothing will help if you don't let it."

Echo opened her eyes slowly, the pain clearly shining within them, and Natasha had to fight not to comfort her yet again. "That's just what everyone says. But how do they know? How do they know what it's like to be –" Echo choked back some tears, before continuing unsteadily, "to be used, taken apart and then left like a broken tool?"

Natasha stared back into the shimmering brown orbs, knowing that her own eyes were filling with tears as well, but managed to say in a clear voice, "Most don't. But there _are_ some people who _do_ know what it's like. And those people can help you fight the pain you're feeling."

Something flashed from within Echo's eyes, and then she whispered, "But how? How can I get over what happened? I'm not – I never was – strong enough to – to fight the pain. What do I do then?"

"Then each time you don't think you can make it, you just look back to see that I'll be behind you every step of the way. I made it through, and I _know_ you can fight this too." At this point Echo had tears running down her cheeks, and Natasha was close to crying as well, but she could really care less. She needed to make sure Echo knew that everyone would help her with this, and at the small nod she gave, Natasha felt a sense of relief fill her chest.

"Can – can I hug you now?" She asked softly, letting Echo know that it was perfectly fine to say no. But Echo nodded, her eyes showing how much she needed that comfort even though her traumatized mind told her to avoid it. Moving carefully, Natasha held Echo in her arms firmly but gently.

As Echo's shoulders began to shake slightly with small sobs, Natasha allowed a few tears to escape her eyes as she rubbed soothing circles along her back, whispering gently, "Shh, it'll be OK. You'll make it through this."

* * *

The following day, Steve walked down the hallway to the medical bay, ready to report for his turn. Natasha had returned to their floor yesterday with red eyes and a little less bite to her bark, but no-one had commented on her unusual behavior. Everyone was worried about Echo, and if someone acted a bit differently, they knew it was because of that extra stress.

Steve himself had been beside himself with worry after Loki had teleported away with a bleeding Echo in his arms. The few hours before he was able to make it back to the Tower had been incredibly tense, and he may or may not have punched a few walls due to his anxiety.

Turning a corner, he heard a raised voice coming from Echo's room. Fearing the worst, Steve sprinted the remaining feet and skidded to a stop in front of the door. Striding in, he took in the scene.

Echo was sitting up slightly, reclining against the many pillows he and the others had brought for her. She looked extremely tired, due to the medication she had to take and due to the healing process her body was going through at the moment.

Taking a closer look at her expression, Steve noticed that her face was red with...embarrassment? She looked stressed out, and he knew that that was the last thing she needed at that moment.

The source of the raised voice was a young male doctor who had apparently been checking over her in Bruce's absence. He looked upset, his face flushed as well, and Steve felt extremely confused.

Standing up tall, he asked, "What seems to be the problem, Doctor?"

Exasperated, the young man said, "She informed me that she has to relieve herself, but rather than use the bedpans as are provided for her, she insists on being helped to the bathroom over there."

Steve looked at the door to the small bathroom in the medical bay, turning back to Echo as she said softly, "Natasha helped me the other day to the door." Her cheeks somehow becoming more red, she said, "I don't need help _in_ the bathroom, I just need help over there."

To Steve, she looked like she was about to start crying from the embarrassment. He could understand that feeling – who wants to be humiliated like this, and for a natural thing as relieving herself? It made him upset to see her treated this way, and he felt his protective side rise to the problem.

Glaring at the young man, he said firmly, "Since you are unable to assist your patient with a simple task as helping her to the restroom, I do not trust you to care for her in other areas. You are relieved for now." As the doctor made to complain, Steve warned, "Watch yourself. I'll be telling Bruce about this."

The young man's eyes widened and his mouth closed with an audible click. But Steve did not spare him another glance. Striding over to Echo, he leant down and carefully lifted her into his arms.

Carrying her over to the restroom, he nudged open the door and then gently placed her beside the toilet. He kept his arm around her until she was steady on her right leg, and then left so she could take care of her business in peace.

Assuming parade rest in front of the door, Steve was surprised to see the doctor still there, and nodded curtly towards the door. He immediately unfroze and hurried to get out of the room.

Shaking his head at how Echo had been treated, Steve hoped that she wouldn't feel too bad after that. He knew how it felt to seem helpless – he had lived on the streets of Brooklyn as a shrimp, and each day had brought a new bully to beat him up.

If he was lucky, he would be able to take care of the guy himself...but that was rare. Usually, some passerby would hear them fighting and break it up or take down the guy for Steve. He certainly had the fight in him, but hadn't had the means to use it effectively.

That's how he thought about Echo at that moment. Even after all she had gone through, Steve _knew_ that her strong side was still there, although pushed deep inside her now. Due to her injuries, she wasn't able to complete the basic habits by herself anymore, and that brought on the sense of helplessness.

He knew that if they weren't careful, that feeling could quickly overpower her and it would be even harder to bring her back to strength. At that moment, he heard a small voice call from behind him, and his heart nearly broke at how weak it sounded.

Opening the door slowly, he glanced in to see Echo standing beside the sink, leaning as much as she could against it. Steve quickly went in and scooped Echo into his arms again. Looking at her face, he could see she was still embarrassed by this whole ordeal.

An idea popped into his mind, and he grinned before saying softly, "Hey, it's all right. There's nothing wrong in needing a little help every now and then. And after all you've gone through, I think you deserve to be carried around _wherever _you want, not just to the restroom. What do you say? Anywhere you want to go?"

For a moment she looked up at him in confusion, and Steve couldn't help but feel his heart wrench at how small she looked at that moment. But then a small sad smile slowly formed on her face, and she said almost inaudibly, "Some fresh air would be nice."

Turning to the door, Steve said happily, "Fresh air it is then," his smile widening at Echo's small giggle as they left the room.

* * *

Loki ran his fingers gently into Echo's soft brown hair, rubbing the shampoo through each lock carefully. She was laying in the hospital bed as always, but with her head hanging over the side into a bucket of warm soapy water. A towel and pillow supported her neck, and she had her eyes closed as Loki massaged her scalp gently, trying to ease her worry.

She was doing a bit better, but of course it wasn't going to be easy. However, the previous day Steve had brought her up to the balcony, and he had returned to see her in a much better mood than earlier. He had made sure to give his thanks to Steve for what he had done.

Now Loki was caring for his lover, making sure she was kept comfortable, rather than lay in the same dirty clothes every day. She was still having troubles with touch, but as long as Loki was slow and gentle, she was doing a good job in staying calm.

"Brace yourself, love." And she clenched her eyes shut as he poured warm water to get rid of the soap in her hair. "Once more." When she was clean again, he moved the bucket out of the way, and wrapped a towel around her hair. Standing behind her, he carefully began to rub it dry.

"How are you feeling now?" Those big brown eyes opened to look up at him, and Loki was saddened to see the grief deep within them. He had yet to find even a hint of where the Other was hiding, but spent most of his days searching before he returned to Echo in the evenings.

"I'm OK," she whispered, voice cracking as she tried to keep her emotions reigned in.

'_OK – OK.'_ Everything was only OK now, when before it'd be "fantastic," or "wonderful," or even just "good." A wave of fury passed through Loki as he thought of what he'd do to the Other once he found him.

Looking back at Echo, he saw the worry in her expression and willed himself to calm down. "That's good," he said with a smile, but he knew that Echo didn't buy it.

He sighed, continuing to rub Echo's hair dry. "You _know_ that we're all here for you, right?" After a second she nodded carefully. "Particularly me." Another nod, not as hesitant, and that relieved a little of the worry he felt.

"Good. You can talk to us about anything and everything, whatever will help you heal. We _want_ you to get better, and I know you do too. Stay strong, and know that I'm here every step of the way."

Echo nodded again, swallowing as the words got caught in her throat, but Loki just smiled down at her. Arranging her in the right position on the bed again, Loki placed a small kiss on her forehead before sitting down beside the bed. He remained watching her as she slowly fell asleep, and a small smile crept over his face as her hand slowly found his, her subconscious showing him that she was still in there. That she'd make it through this yet.

* * *

**I am so sorry this is a bit late, but I didn't want this chapter to be too bad and all. I still think it's a little awkward, but I'm always hard on myself. Oh, well. :P I'll try better with the next one, and I hope this one wasn't too bad! Hope you enjoyed it a bit! :) Thanks again for all your support, and I'll be updating on Friday! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**All righty guys, I'm super sorry that I didn't update as promised – the workload this week has been incredibly heavy and my personal RL was super stressful on top of that. I really didn't want to have that affect you guys, but it was just too much in the end – I'll try not to let it happen again. Hope you understand. :/**

**I'm glad you all liked the last chapter – I was a bit nervous but that definitely gave me more confidence for this one too. Thanks for all the support, from my great readers, those who've reviewed – Ellize Avalon, DoctorLokiLove, Loki'sdreamer, iamdelilah, truelovealwaysprevails – and all those who've favorited/followed! You're awesome! :D Enjoy this (albeit late) update! :)**

* * *

It was two days after Thor had seen Steve walk through the living room with Echo in his arms, happily chatting away about something he had done with Bucky in the past. Echo had had a small smile on her face as she listened, and seemed calmer than earlier.

But Thor had noticed the faint lines of worry on her forehead, that her smile was only a shadow of what it used to be, and she portrayed an overall sense of weakness. When he caught her eyes in that fleeting moment, he could see the pain deep within them. He felt greatly saddened by this, for he knew that she was anything but weak.

Today was the day Thor was supposed to watch Echo, and he had to admit he was nervous. He had received a talk about what was all right to say, and a long list of what _not_ to talk about. He felt a bit offended, for although at times he spoke his mind, he was not a child.

However, Thor did not remain upset for long for he understood their concerns. They did not want Echo to withdraw further into herself, and by reminding her of the torture before she was ready, he could delay her recovery.

Striding out of the strange room that allowed him to travel between floors, Thor made his way to the room Echo was residing in. Bruce had told them that she would be able to move back to their floor the next week, and Thor hoped that would help her improve faster.

Stopping just before the doorway, Thor felt uncertain in seeing Echo again. He had rarely had that feeling, having been the Crown Prince of Asgard, growing up knowing that all adored him. When someone had argued with him, he had challenged them to a battle and with his mighty hammer Mjölnir had defeated them gloriously.

Now, when he was simply supposed to spend the day with an injured teammate, he found himself frozen in his steps. Blinking hard, he forced himself out of the trance and straightened up. _'I am a son of Odin, a Prince of Asgard_,' he thought firmly, redeeming himself slightly.

Filled with purpose again, Thor marched into the medical bay without another hesitation. Echo was reading a book, leaning it against her less injured right leg gently as she held it open with her left hand. As Thor entered, she looked at him with a surprised expression and he instinctively slowed his walk.

At the amused smile that appeared on her face though, he regained confidence again. "Greetings, Echo! How do you fair this morning?"

She laughed softly, giving Thor a bit of hope, and placed her book on the table beside her. "I'm OK," she said quietly, looking down at her lap. Thor's grin slowly left his face as he watched his young teammate.

Echo tapped the fingers of her left hand insistently, keeping her eyes focused on them. She could see Thor in the corner of her eye, standing a few feet away from her. She could _feel_ his gaze and as the seconds passed she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

She never used to mind being stared at – it would always happen to her while she was in the gang, after all. But now, every single time someone came into the room she would have to hide a flinch. If someone tried to comfort her, she would feel a wave of fear go over her from their touch.

But even though she feared contact with another person, when she was alone it was somehow _worse_. She felt like she was abandoned, that no-one wanted to be with her after all that happened. Not that she blamed them – they had been captured because of her, had had to face an old enemy because of her – why would they want to stay around her if it was just a reminder of what had happened?

Thor watched as Echo's expression changed slowly from calm to worried, until it looked as if she were on the brink of tears. She blinked, and a single tear streaked down her cheek. By that point Thor had had enough.

He walked over to Echo's side slowly, not wanting to frighten her. Sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly with his thumb. He could feel how tense she was at his touch, and sighed before making to remove his hand.

Thus, he was surprised when she turned to look at him with tear-filled eyes, whispering, "I'm fine. I need – need to get over this."

Thor smiled gently at her, marveling at her bravery despite her condition. She was very distressed, and he thought of how he could help her without making her upset again. Just then an idea came to mind. "May I try something that my mother did to calm me and my brother?"

Echo seemed bewildered at the turn of events, but managed a small nod. Thor carefully arranged himself better on the bed, scooting Echo forward so that he was sitting slightly behind her.

Echo sat stiffly on the bed as Thor made himself comfortable behind her. She flinched involuntarily as she felt large hands bring her hair to the back of her head, and then he said, "Due to our long hair, our mother, Frigga, would braid our hair when we were feeling sad or upset."

Thor smiled at the surprised giggle that left Echo, and continued to comb through her hair with his fingers. He had seen the flinch as he reached for her hair, and used an unusual gentleness for someone of his size and stature. Gathering her locks in three different sections, he began the process of braiding it.

"It was very calming, and she would often tell stories as she played with our hair. Of course, we would never admit to anyone that we enjoyed having her do this. But she saw through our act, and joke with us about it. She would suggest we wear our hair in such a manner for feasts, but neither of us wanted to bear that embarrassment of having the warriors seeing us with braided hair like fair maidens."

"Did she teach you how to braid hair?" Thor was surprised to hear her speak, but overjoyed at the same moment. He laughed aloud as she continued, the smile evident in her voice, "Or am I your first experiment?"

"Fear not, Echo! I have had practice – your hair is in capable hands." Her shoulders shook slightly with laughter, and Thor knew she had guessed on whom he had 'practiced.'

"At times when it was raining outside, or if Loki and I were merely bored and had nothing else to do, we would..._try_ to braid the others' hair. Naturally, our attempts brought upon arguments on how to braid correctly, on whom had done a better job, and so on."

The mention of arguments brought back memories of less innocent fights, and Thor's fingers stilled for a moment. As Echo started to turn around, he brought himself out of the revere and continued more somberly, "I only wish our relationship had remained as such. But alas, we became distant and our few moments alone were strained and uncomfortable for the both of us."

"I state that Loki is my brother and that I will always love him, and yet when we were young, I became so intent on becoming the golden Prince that I left Loki behind. I understand now how it must have been for him – I would only return to him when I remembered, or if I had nothing else to do. That is not how brothers should treat another."

"But, throughout his sentence in Asgard after the battle with the Chitauri, I would speak with him every day. Of course, in the beginning he would refuse to even look at me. But as the weeks passed, we slowly became accustomed to the other again, and I could see a glimmer of my old brother within him."

"Then he fought alongside us, and I could not have been happier. However, although he had came great lengths since falling from the Bifrost, I knew he was not completely healed."

A smile crept onto Thor's face as he continued to sort through Echo's hair, careful not to knot it. "And then someone came into his life who would change it forever."

A moment's silence, and then he heard Echo whisper, "Who?"

"A young maiden, full of energy but with a fiery temper underneath her sweet disposition. From the first time my brother set eyes on her, I could see the admiration deep within them. As time passed, we got to know this young lady and she soon became a beloved comrade-in-arms, for whom we would do anything."

"The change in Loki was gradual, but no less amazing. This girl was able to melt the icy heart of the lonely Prince, and I will forever be grateful to her for giving me back my brother." Thor finished braiding Echo's hair, and leant back. He hadn't meant to turn to such a somber topic, and the silence in the room was stifling.

Thor sighed wearily, "Forgive me if I have upset you. I will leave so that someone more entertaining can stay with you." He stood up slowly, and started to step away. A small warm hand gripped his wrist, and he looked down in surprise.

Echo was looking up at him with large, tearful eyes, but a small smile graced her lips. "Stay," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She cleared her throat quietly before saying, "Tell me more about you and Loki as kids."

Thor smiled widely at her and sat beside her again, eagerly launching into another story of when he and Loki had run through the castle, throwing homemade bombs of rotten fruit pulp and mud at the guards standing throughout the halls. The idea had of course come from a much younger but no less naughty God of Mischief, but a miniature God of Thunder had created the bombs himself.

Unbeknownst to the two laughing on the bed, a figure who had come to check on them a few seconds after Thor had begun braiding Echo's hair peeled away from the wall and carefully made his way back to the elevator without a sound. Loki shook his head in amusement, a smile curving his thin lips as he pushed the button to go back to his room.

* * *

"All right Echo, I'll be checking to make sure your stitches are fine, and that your bones are setting correctly. If anything becomes too much for you, then we can take a little break, OK?"

Echo nodded, lying back on the bed comfortably. It was the morning after Thor had spent the day with her, and Bruce had to say he was amazed how well Thor had been able to help Echo forget her troubles for a short time.

Bruce walked over to Echo's side, and quickly but efficiently made sure she was doing well. "It looks like everything is healing fine, and if it continues like this then you'll be able to rejoin us on our floor again. How's that for good news?"

Echo managed a small smile, and said, "Sounds really nice." Bruce's smile faltered at her dull tone, and he turned around to look at her with concerned eyes.

"Echo?" She looked at him expectantly, and he said gently, "How are you feeling?" She opened her mouth immediately, but Bruce cut her off, "And don't say OK. Be honest with me." At her hesitancy, he asked, "Please?"

Echo looked at Bruce for another moment, at those brown eyes that were pleading with her to let him help her. She didn't want to worry them anymore, but the tone of his voice when he said please made her change her mind. She sighed. "I feel...lost. I don't know how to react sometimes, and this sense of helplessness is choking me constantly. Above that, I feel dirty, used terribly only to be thrown away...and worst of all is feeling broken."

She turned away from Bruce's sad expression, saying, "I feel as though nothing can help me become whole again." She looked back at Bruce, saying quickly, "I really appreciate everything that you guys are doing, and I'm _really_ trying my best to be happy again and heal faster, but...I just can't get rid of that feeling."

Bruce walked closer to Echo, reassuring her gently, "Shh, stop that. You don't owe us anything." She looked at him with surprise, and he explained, "You don't have to force yourself to be happy around us, nor is there a certain time when you have to be healed and over this. You will always have this experience in the back of your mind, but that's what we're here for, to help you get past this so that it will not impact you as strongly in the future."

"We're a team, remember," he reminded her. With a smile, he amended, "More like a family, actually. And family helps each other through thick and thin. We helped Steve in the beginning, we helped Tony when things were rough...the others even helped _me_ when times seemed really bad. And we won't give up on you either."

Bruce sat beside Echo, patting her hand gently. "You'll be OK. We're going to make sure of it." Echo looked back at him with a careful expression, and before Bruce knew what was happening, he found his arms full of Echo as she hugged him tightly.

Laughing softly, he rubbed her back soothingly, holding her firmly but gently, knowing that she'd be all right in the end. It would be a long process, but she'd make it.

* * *

Loki sat in his room, cross-legged in the center of his bed. He wore a simple dark green t-shirt and black sweats, and his hair was tucked behind his ears. His palms rested on his knees, and he was sitting as straight as he could so that his magic could flow without a problem.

His entire body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his hair plastered to his head as he was exerting a lot of energy due to the spell. He hadn't had any luck in finding the Other yet, not even a blip on his magical radar, but he simply _needed_ to find him.

Echo was healing well, thankfully, but Loki would not be able to rest until he made sure that nothing like that could happen ever again. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he straightened his back as he exhaled, closed his eyes and sent out another wave of magic.

'_I will find you. And be assured that when I do, I will make you rue the day you decided to make me your tool.'_

* * *

**OK, once again, I am super sorry that this is late, and I'll try not to let my personal life seep into here again. :/ I hope you enjoyed another chapter of bonding, (and that Thor wasn't too silly, hehe), and I'll be updating on Tuesday. OH! And did any of you catch the title in here? Hint: it's when Thor is describing Echo. :D Have a good weekend everyone! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**I'm back! (On time today, yaay!) :P Anyways, a ton of love to those who've reviewed – Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, Ellize Avalon, truelovealwaysprevails – to all who've followed/favorited, and to all my readers! You all are fantastic! :D Here's another chapter as promised! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Echo sat on her bed, lying comfortably against the many pillows with her blanket draped over her legs. _'Which don't hurt as much anymore, thanks to my Loki,'_ she thought with a small smile, moving her left leg gingerly.

Loki had used a bit of his magic to speed up the healing process for her bigger injures – her broken leg, the knife and gunshot wound, and broken wrist. They were not completely healed, but it had eased the pain, for which she was extremely grateful.

"I have to admit," Loki had said as he laid his hands on her leg. "My strength is not in healing magic. But I'll try my best." To Echo, his best was way better than nothing.

As Echo blinked back into reality, she heard the click of her door opening and looked expectantly. She knew someone was coming to spend the day with her, and guessed it was either Clint or Tony, since the others had had a few days with her already.

What she didn't expect was to see a disheveled looking Tony dart into her room, glancing around wildly until he caught sight of her on the bed. "Echo! Come with me!"

Before she could figure out what was happening, Echo found herself being pulled out of the bed. Tony picked her up, getting a good grip so that he didn't jostle her too much, and then crept to the door. "Tony, wha-" But before she could question, Tony breathed, "Shh," while peeking out of her room.

Apparently the coast was clear, for in the next second he was walking as fast as he could to the living room. Looking around and seeing no-one, he dropped Echo gently on her back on the couch and then sprinted back to the bedrooms. _'What the hell...?'_

Echo was about to call for Tony when he came running back, a huge blanket in his arms. "Scoot over," he whispered, before lying next to a completely bewildered Echo. With her back pressed against the back of the couch, Echo watched as Tony turned onto his side as well, facing her.

Just then the elevator dinged, and Tony almost frantically tossed the blanket over them, successfully covering them both completely. Echo waited with bated breath, getting caught up in the action despite having _no idea_ what was going on.

They heard soft footsteps go through the kitchen, then apparently down to the bedrooms. Echo made to peek out, but Tony kept her still; she barely kept in the laugh at his rapt expression. She was sure she looked the same.

The footsteps came back, and then they heard the elevator doors open and close again. Fully into the game now, Echo stayed as frozen as Tony, both listening intently to make sure the perpetrator had left.

After a few minutes Echo swallowed, then whispered, "I think they're gone."

"Are you sure?" Tony said with a grin, and Echo laughed softly, nodding her head.

Tony slowly hooked his fingers into the blanket, and Echo could feel her heart beat faster as the fear and excitement of getting caught increased until finally Tony wrenched off the blanket in one go.

There was no-one there. Echo released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, and then giggled along with Tony at how silly they must have looked. Tony helped her to sit properly on the couch, and then marched over to the kitchen as he called out, "I'll be right back."

A few seconds later, after making herself comfortable with the blanket over her knees, Echo looked up as Tony came back, two bowls of ice cream in his hands. A laugh erupted out of her as she finally understood what that whole charade was for, and Tony felt extremely accomplished for making her laugh again.

Accepting her bowl of chilled sweet goodness, complete with a hearty amount of chocolate syrup and whipped cream, Echo said slyly, "So, you mentioned to Bruce that you were going to give me ice cream, and he tried to stop you?"

Tony made himself comfortable beside Echo, arranging the blanket over his legs as well, and laid back into the cushions with a sigh. Sticking a big spoonful in his mouth, Tony closed his eyes in bliss as he swallowed, before saying, "Nope, but close. Steve overheard me ask JARVIS if we had ice cream, and being the rude person he is, jumped me when I left my lab to come up here."

"But, with my...lithe figure," he gestured to himself, and Echo rolled her eyes, for of course he wouldn't admit he was, plain and simple,_ short_. "I was able to get past him, and ran all the way up here, making sure JARVIS made the elevator slower for our Captain. You couldn't have given me a few more minutes?"

"Forgive me, sir. I held off as much as I could, but you _had _designed everything to be fast and efficient," came the computerized voice, somehow sounding weary despite being a machine. Echo grinned at how it seemed she and Tony were children, and Steve and JARVIS the tired parents.

Tony apparently thought the same, for he mentioned around another mouthful of chocolate, "This reminds me of when you, me and Clint were the Three Stooges, and played pranks on Loki. Those were the good times."

Echo swallowed a big spoon of ice cream, relishing the sweet taste, and said softly, "I hope things can go back to the way they were."

Tony stopped mixing his ice cream with the syrup at her tone, and looked up to see her smile slowly fading. Quickly, he jumped to stop her from sinking down again.

"Of course things will be normal again!" Tony exclaimed, sticking some more ice cream into his mouth as she looked up at him. "You're healing really well, both physically and mentally, and you'll be back in action in no time."

"But I don't feel like I'm getting better. Well, the pain is slowly going away, but I'm still afraid when I'm alone, I feel weak and broken – and it doesn't seem to be going away." She sighed, eating another spoon of ice cream glumly. "Well," she admitted. "It might go away for a bit, like now when I'm with one of you, but then it returns full force afterwards."

Tony sat still for a while, gathering his thoughts. He knew how Echo felt, especially after that whole fiasco in Afghanistan. "You know, _I_ was afraid after being captured, before I became Iron Man. Hell, I'm _still_ affected by nightmares from my PTSD," he said, looking at Echo, two pairs of brown eyes staring seriously at the other.

"But then, I was able to make this fantastic suit, becoming a hero rather than a villain, eventually met my teammates...especially Bruce," he said with a small smile, and Echo mirrored his expression, seeing the love within his eyes. "And I finally found meaning in my life. No matter how hard it is, I can't go through life letting the fear overpower me, and neither can you."

Tony placed a hand over hers, gripping it gently. "It'll be hard at first, but I'm certain that you'll find something to help you feel yourself again. It might turn out to be Rock of Ages," Tony said, smiling at Echo's laugh. "But let's not say it to his face. His ego doesn't need any more stroking."

Becoming slightly serious again, Tony said firmly, "You're going to be all right. Trust me." Echo searched his eyes for a moment, then nodded her head confidently.

At that moment, the elevator dinged again, and the two froze as Steve strode out into the living room. He had a stern expression on his face, eyebrows furrowed, and lips pursed with disapproval. "Hi, Steve! Come, join us!" Tony exclaimed, patting the couch beside him.

Steve looked at him steadily, his frown lessening slightly as he caught sight of Echo waving at him from behind Tony. But it returned full force as he turned his eyes back to Tony. He looked as if he were going to speak, but then simply turned away.

Tony looked at Echo in amazement, thinking he had gotten away with it. But before he could continue enjoy his victory, Steve called from the elevator, "I'm telling Bruce."

Echo's laughter could be heard throughout the entire floor as Tony nearly flew from the couch, desperately trying to catch Steve before he could tell on him.

* * *

Clint stood a few steps away from Echo, as she slowly started her exercises to begin strengthening her muscles again. After Loki had used his magic, Echo was able to get out of the bulky cast, and now had a simpler support for her leg. Her sides were still tender, but no longer the gaping wounds they had been before.

Echo could now stand for a little over two minutes at a time, naturally less when she was exercising. She was beside the couch, so that she could lean on it if she needed to rest. Clint was also close at hand in case she collapsed.

He watched as Echo went through the movements Bruce had taught her, and couldn't help but see Natasha in her. Acting strong, not letting her emotions show, and proving that she was tougher than they thought. It had been a terrible moment of déjà vu when they had rescued Echo, and Clint could only imagine how it had been for Natasha.

Clint snapped out of his thoughts as Echo gave a little whimper of pain, and was immediately by her side, holding her up firmly but gently. "No, I'm all right," she whispered, closing her eyes against the pain.

He looked at her with a sigh, and said seriously, "Don't force yourself, OK? You still have to be careful."

She looked up at him, saying firmly, "I don't – no,_ can't_ feel like this anymore. Maybe if I get better faster then things will be all right. But I just can't keep feeling so helpless."

Another wave of déjà vu went through Clint as he looked at Echo, for the determined look on her face was uncannily similar to another tough woman he knew. He almost laughed at the fact that now they had two Natasha's in the Tower, but managed to control himself, as he knew that his laugh wouldn't be appreciated.

Looking Echo straight in the eyes, Clint told her, "I _know_ you'll be all right. It doesn't matter that your body might take a little while longer than you want to get better. But your spirit, which is _much _more important, is already well on its way."

A small smile had been creeping unbidden over Echo's face, and Clint was almost positive she had not realized it. She asked Clint, "How can you tell? And why don't _I_ feel the difference, if it's so obvious to you?"

Laughing, Clint gripped her shoulders gently, and said with a smile, "Well, I can tell by the way you smile, for one. The way it reaches your eyes and lights up your whole face." Echo blushed, causing Clint to grin again.

"How you laugh differently, talk with expression, behave as you used to." Clint looked warmly at Echo. "I've seen the signs before; Natasha had been the same when she was finally coming out of her ditch."

"The reason you don't feel that different is because you're still troubled from your memories, and your injuries are constantly reminding you. But," he said, before Echo could keep thinking about that. "You're going to get better soon. And if you have someone to help you forget even more, then you'll be fine. Natasha had me after all, and now look at her!"

Echo whacked Clint lightly in the arm, laughing, but then motioned for him to come closer. He complied, and then laughed softly as he wrapped his arms more firmly around Echo as she hugged him. When she pulled away, her face was still slightly red, and she cleared her throat softly.

"You know, Tony told me something similar." At Clint's questioning gaze, she clarified, "That I need someone to help me along."

Clint laughed aloud, exclaiming, "Well, if the great Tony Stark said so, then it _must_ be true!" Echo giggled at his wild expression, before standing straight and continuing her exercises, more slowly this time.

The mood was a load lighter then when they started, and as Clint helped Echo with her exercises again, he couldn't help but smile as how far she had come since that terrible day. She was almost there – just needed one more little push.

* * *

The room was pitch black, no sound or light able to penetrate it. Then out of the darkness came a shuffling sound, as someone moved slightly from somewhere within the room.

The Other strengthened the shield he had placed around himself and the room in which he stayed. He knew Loki was searching for him, but was confident that he would not be found until he wanted to be.

Concentrating his magic to his mind, he combed through the city until he found what he was looking for. Focusing his power as he chanted under his breath, he could feel the energy within him grow. When it reached its' peak, he sent the spell out.

Following it until it hit his desired target, he exhaled, closing his eyes, and focused on the magic he had sent out.

Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes to see a reflection of that damned girl looking back at him, as she stood before a mirror. Her bright blue eyes stared at him blankly, and a dark smile curved over her lips as the Other smiled.

Exhaling, he murmured, "I will not act now, but they _will_ pay for foiling my victory those years ago. And just as I used your lover as a puppet, so shall I use you." He withdrew back to his own body, leaving no trace that he had been there nor of the spell that still lingered within the girls' mind.

* * *

**So, whaddaya think? ;P I'm sure you're all screaming at me right now, but that's to be expected, eheheheee. ;D Despite the ending (which I hope wasn't too confusing), I hope you enjoyed the chapter – I certainly had fun writing that scene with Tony, hehe. I will be updating on Saturday, so until then, have a good week and take care! :D**

**OH! And go watch the Thor 2 teaser trailer right now! Oh my goddesses, Loki's hair! Good lord, I was laughing throughout the whole day as I remembered his 80s look. The movie is going to be intense! Can't wait! :D**

**/watch ?v=jHFhZLJajlc&list= PLFc173kP-eodmtEtTzuwJEqn7Ij5OdbrO&index=6**

**-Ana :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys, how are you this weekend? I hope you're all doing well! :) To all my terrific readers and followers, those who've reviewed the last chapter – Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, truelovealwaysprevails – and those who've favorited my story, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

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'_I mustn't be so nervous,'_ Loki thought as he walked to Echo's room. _'After all, I've already said it. I'm simply enforcing it now.'_

"Echo?" He knocked gently on the door, and hearing a muffled reply, opened it slowly. He couldn't help the grin that crossed his face when he saw Echo lounging on her bed, a book in her lap. "May I come in?"

Echo smiled at him, saying, "Of course Loki. Why ever not?" Her comment gave him more confidence, and he closed the door behind him as he entered the room. Walking to the bed, he sat beside her and took a moment to simply look at her.

Her brown eyes shone up at him, though they had yet to be as bright as before. She wore a simple dark blue t-shirt and sweat pants, and Loki tried not to linger on the marks that peeked from below her sleeves. She had placed her book on a drawer, and her hands now fiddled insistently in her lap.

Meeting her eyes again to see why she was nervous, he noticed the slight rings under her eyes, causing them to seem weary from holding the worries of the world. Echo bit her lip shyly, then whispered, "What is it?" Loki rubbed her cheek softly with his thumb, asking, "How are you feeling, Echo?"

"I'm O–" then she seemed to think for a moment as she caught how sad Loki looked. "I'm better," she amended quietly, smiling at the relieved expression that passed over Loki's face. "Much better than last week, that's for sure."

Loki sighed happily at her response, saying, "I'm very glad. Would you like me to alleviate some of your pain? The little I can do, I will if you'd like."

But Echo shook her head. "That's all right. You've done enough – I'm not in that much pain at the moment. I'll be fine in no time."

'_But will you really? Why do your eyes shimmer with grief when you look away from me?'_ "Everything _will_ be fine. I promise," Loki said, gripping her hand gently. When she tensed, Loki was suddenly reminded of that night when they had fought.

Those had been the exact words he had uttered before she had said she loved him. He fought the urge to close his eyes in annoyance, for _of course_ he would make the mistake and use those words so casually. So much for his Silvertongue.

He sighed wearily before looking back into Echo's desolate eyes. "Echo, I am truly sorry for what I said to you that night. My worries overtook me, and I was unable to control my words at that moment."

"I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, first for speaking to you in such a manner. And second for taking this long to express the feelings I had the whole time." Loki looked into his lap, a wave of guilt riding over him, but he glanced back at Echo when she placed a reassuring hand over his.

"You have a very special spot in my heart, Echo. A spot in which I thought no-one would be for the rest of my days. But I had been broken by so many before meeting you, that I thought the risk of letting you in only to be broken again was too high." Taking her hand in his, he looked deep into her eyes. "Now I understand that you are more important to me than anyone else who I have cared for. Though at first I was afraid of those feelings, ever since that fateful night I have been thinking, and now...I need you."

"I need you to know that I will _always_ be here by your side, no matter what happens. That you can always count on me as someone who will protect you, who would defy anyone in the Nine Realms in order to remain with you, as someone who will make you immortal for I cannot imagine a life without you."

Echo was fighting back tears at this point, and Loki pulled her gently towards him, minding her injuries. Holding her carefully in his arms, he laid his cheek against her head. Placing a kiss upon her hair, he said, "You have brought me back to life, Echo, and for that I will be forever grateful. My judgment was so clouded from my past that I was unable to realize how good you are for me, until it was almost too late."

Closing his eyes as he felt Echo's thin body tremble minutely from tears against his chest, Loki continued, "I almost lost you, and it was then that I fully understood how important you are to me. And how much I need you, when before I had accepted that I would remain alone for all time. Now any moment spent away from you is agony, and I am always eager for the next time we are together like this."

Raising his head to look into the distance, Loki became serious. "You were nearly stolen from me, and I will guarantee that that will _never_ happen again."

At that Echo's head rose off his chest, and she looked up at him with worried eyes. She had stopped crying, but wet streaks were still prominent on her cheeks, and her eyes were slightly red from the tears.

"Don't–" She had to clear her throat as her voice caught for a moment. "Please don't go after the Other alone."

Loki made to retort, but Echo continued, slightly louder, "Promise me that when you find him, you'll let our team know. I can't bear to lose you, now that I've only just gotten the _real_ you."

"Please, let the others help you. You don't have to do this alone," she pleaded, begging with her eyes that he would promise her. Loki looked away again, closing his eyes against her gaze.

'_I cannot promise such a thing, Echo. This is something I _must_ do alone.'_ The Other had been his enemy first and foremost, and Loki needed to defeat him himself.

Echo's voice cut into his thoughts, as she said, "I wouldn't be able to go on if something happened to you, Loki. I know I have the others, who I love as a family, but you are the most important person in my life. I need you – otherwise there is no use in continuing to live, if you are not going to be beside me at the end of every day."

Loki's heart clenched at her words, and even more so when he looks down at her big brown pleading eyes. He nodded slowly at her anxious expression, but he knew that when the time came, he _would_ hunt down the Other alone.

This was something he needed to do alone, for his lover should never have had to face _his_ enemy, and he needed to get revenge for her...and himself for those years ago.

He opened his mouth to reassure her that he would always be there, but at that moment an alarm blared through the floors. Someone pounded from outside, and Loki left the bed, opening the door to reveal a stern looking Clint.

"We're needed. Nothing too bad, just a few amateurs who got their hands on some dangerous weapons usually kept for war." Loki rolled his eyes, before following Clint to the living room, his armor and weapon shimmering onto his body.

"OK, I'm heading out to see how bad things are. You guys catch up soon though," said Tony, before flying off of the balcony towards downtown.

Looking around at the others, Loki said quickly, "Someone will have to watch over Echo. I will not leave her alone for any amount of time."

"Cool it," Clint said quickly. "We've already decided, Steve will stay behind. She'll be all right."

Loki was about to respond, but then an amused voice called from behind him, "I'm glad I was part of that conversation. What if I wanted Thor as my babysitter?"

Loki turned around to see Echo standing in the doorway into the living room, holding most of her weight on a cane that Tony had given her. It was rather simple, with four legs at the bottom to make it more stable, and a soft handle for her to grip easily.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and Loki laughed along with the others. Thor immediately declared that he would gladly stay with Echo, but she raised her hand quickly. "I was just kidding, don't fret."

Loki walked over to Echo, pulling her close by her waist, and whispered, "I was not done. We will talk later." He left a small kiss on her forehead, ignoring the snickers behind him. _'Oh, how you've changed me, Echo.'_ Without another word, he turned away and left with the others.

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"So, is there anything you need? Anything I need to do, or that you want? I'm right here if you do." Steve stood in the kitchen, looking over at Echo with a worried expression.

Echo laughed at his eagerness to help, but shook her head. "I'm fine Steve. Relax a little."

He gave a shaky smile, but sat next to Echo anyways. She had her book with her, and although she was worried about not being in the battlefield with her team and Loki, she trusted Loki when he said he'd be all right.

As Steve flipped on the television, catching the world news, Echo felt nature's call and slowly made her way to her feet. Steve immediately stood with her, moving to assist her, but she waved him away with a laugh.

"I'll be fine. I can make it to the bathroom by myself now," she said, winking at Steve. He blushed, but relented and turned back to the TV.

She walked slowly across the living room, knowing that Steve was ready to leap into action at any moment. But her cane was incredibly sturdy, and helped her maneuver around the Tower easily. Well, the living room and bedrooms, since the others had forbidden her from straining herself too much.

'_Even telling JARVIS to disable the elevator if I tried to leave the floor by myself,'_ she thought grudgingly. But they meant well, and had been such fantastic friends the past weeks, helping her with even the smallest of things.

Almost to the restroom, she winced slightly as a twinge went through her side. After taking another step, she had to stop, gasping softly in pain. "Is everything all right, Miss Valentina?" Echo smiled, as even Tony's creation showed his concern for her. "I'm all right, just the usual aches and pains." She heard Steve sigh in relief as well, the couch creaking as he sat back down.

She took care of her business, then as she was washing her hands, caught sight of herself in the mirror. Taking in her tired eyes, slightly bent back, and marks that littered her arms and body – damn, she looked like hell.

She stood up straight, and lifted her shirt, checking and prodding her sides gently. Bruce said that she was healing fine, but that those areas were going to be tender a long time afterwards.

She ran a finger over one of the harsher-looking ridges from the whip, that stretched from her right side to a bit below her navel, and then suddenly froze as a thought crossed her mind.

Her shirt dropped as she began running through the past few weeks. Her eyes closed and shoulders began to sag as she counted backwards from that day.

"Oh, no."

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**Ehehehee, so, I dropped quite a bomb there. I'm not sorry, mwahahaa. OK, maybe a little, if you guys are devastated, but I think you'll be OK. :D Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter – if there's something you want me to add, then suggest away! :) Enjoy your Sunday, and I'll be updating on Wednesday! Take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**OK, so, I guess I'll see after today how many of you are still with me even after that bomb last chapter. :P Big thank you's to my readers, those who've reviewed the last chapter – Loki'sdreamer, Ellize Avalon, WarriorDragonElf54, DoctorLokiLove, Smiele – and those who've favorited/followed, for your continued support! :)**

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Loki walked into the Tower impatiently, eager to see Echo again for even the shortest of times away from her was too long for him. And, although he trusted Steve, he needed to see for himself that she was fine.

They returned victorious, barely even perspiring after that pathetic fight. If it had not been for the weapons in the men's possession, this would have been an easy job for the New York police. Loki sometimes thought that the police were becoming spoiled due to the Avengers living just next door. But he kept those ideas to himself, not wanting to cause trouble.

Loki looked back at his teammates, and groaned in frustration as he noticed they were taking their time to catch up to him. Obviously they did not feel as anxious as he did to see Echo again. Glancing back once more, Loki sighed and simply teleported to the living room.

He could hear clattering in the kitchen, and as the person started whistling, Loki recognized him to be Steve. Relaxing his tense muscles, not even aware that he had assumed a defensive stance, Loki looked around for his lover.

He didn't see her right away, and walked further in with a frown, turning his head to see her sitting on the couch. Apparently she hadn't seen him appear, for she had a faraway look in her eyes. Her forehead was slightly creased as she thought of something, staring straight ahead without a blink.

Concerned, Loki made his way toward her. She seemed to hear his footsteps, for she blinked before looking up at him blankly. Then her eyes warmed, and Loki sighed with relief.

Smiling softly, Echo stood up slowly with the help of her cane. It was painful for Loki to see her in such a vulnerable and weak state. She took a few steps before Loki closed the distance between them, holding her firmly to him.

His arm around her waist, keeping most of her weight off of her bad leg, he looked down at her with unease. Lifting her chin gently, he was worried to see that her eyes revealed her stress, small wrinkles corrupting her otherwise smooth forehead. Kissing her on the nose, Loki asked gently, "What's wrong, Echo?"

But to his dismay, Echo just shook her head, not meeting his eyes. "Nothing. I just – I need to –" Her eyes locked on something behind him, and Loki turned his head to see Natasha walk in with the others right behind her. She did not continue, swallowing thickly as she continued to look at Natasha.

"Echo, what –" Loki began, but then Tony interrupted him, calling out, "Hey, Loki!"

Sighing in exasperation, Loki turned away from Echo, his arm never leaving her waist. "What is it Stark?"

"Jeez, back to Stark? Why so hostile, your Majesty?" Tony grinned, before relenting at Loki's gaze. "Kidding aside, Bruce and I have something that might help you find the Other easier."

Loki immediately became interested, for the sooner he could find the Other, the better. "It's a sort of amplifier for your magic – I can guess from how you look after a session that it's a pretty draining spell," Bruce put in, and Loki nodded in agreement. "Well, it may not be perfect, but it's better than nothing, right? Would you like to try it out?"

Loki truly wanted to, but was still worried about Echo. However, his decision was made for him when Echo nudged him slightly, saying, "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

He turned toward her, about to argue, but then froze as she placed a finger on his lips. "Just go. Trust me." Loki knew that something was stressing her out, but could tell that his presence was worsening the situation. Sighing, he walked away from her, knowing that she would talk with him when she was ready.

"So, I see who wears the pants here," Tony laughed, before paling as he caught Loki's murderous gaze. "Someone, shield me!" Loki smirked, walking beside Bruce to the elevator, ignoring Tony who was cowering behind Steve.

'_Well, almost ignoring,'_ Loki grinned mischievously as a thud came from behind him, a mysterious force closing the elevator door just as Tony tried to run in, a muffled curse following right after.

Echo laughed at Tony's pout, watching as he straightened himself back up, waiting for the elevator with as much dignity as he could muster. Thor and Steve went to continue training in the gym, making sure Echo would be all right beforehand.

Clint immediately dove into the fridge, claiming that his stomach would eat him from the inside out if he didn't feed it soon. Echo just rolled her eyes, and before she missed her chance, called out softly, "Natasha."

She turned around, and Echo asked, "Can I talk with you?" Natasha's eyebrows rose at the anxiety in Echo's voice, and immediately nodded.

"Let's go to my room," she said, before walking beside Echo, helping her along when she was affected by larger aches. They finally made it to her room, but just as she was about to close the door, Natasha heard Clint yell out, "Hey, where'd everybody go?"

"You'll be by yourself for a bit dear! Echo and I are talking about boring girl stuff! Join the other boys in the gym instead of stuffing your face!" Small grumbles came through from the kitchen, and Natasha grinned before closing the door.

Echo nearly had a heart attack when Natasha mentioned the 'girl stuff,' but quickly realized she couldn't have known. _'And boy, it will be anything but boring!'_

She barely sat down before Natasha turned towards her and asked, "What's going on Echo?" From what she could tell, this was a serious matter, and Natasha grew more worried as Echo drew in a slightly shaky breath.

Turning her eyes onto Natasha, Echo said timidly, "I think I'm pregnant." Natasha froze, shocked for a moment, before her protective side came out.

Walking briskly over to the bed, she sat beside Echo and asked hesitantly, "Are you sure? When was your last period?"

"My last period started 37 days ago, and when I checked the calendar when Steve wasn't looking, my next should have started last week." Echo bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions reigned in as best as she could.

Natasha took a deep breath, still trying to process this information. "Maybe, it's just the stress you've been put through, and your body is still recuperating?" But even she doubted that theory. Echo had been healing remarkably well even after all that trauma her body had gone through, whereas another person would have still been in bed from those injuries.

And on top of that, Loki had helped the process along with his magic. Her next period might have been later, but this was too late even taking all the circumstances into account.

Echo sighed sadly, drawing Natasha's attention to her again, saying, "I don't know what I'll do if the child is Phoenix's, and not –"

"Wait..._if_ it's Phoenix's kid? Then who else's would it be?" But even as she asked, she looked up at Echo and the blush that she saw on Echo's face confirmed her guess.

Natasha grinned despite the serious situation, and nudging Echo with her knee, asked, "Sooo, when did this start?"

Echo blushed deeper, although she was smiling slightly too, and looking at her feet, said, "Remember that fight when I burned you?" Natasha nodded, her grin widening. "Well, later that night, Loki caught up with me and...let's say, helped me feel better."

Natasha laughed at how red Echo was, obviously embarrassed at what she had just admitted. Echo looked incredibly guilty, and she couldn't help but laugh at her expressions. But Natasha sobered up quickly, and said gently, "You're going to have to let the others know sometime."

"I know," Echo said softly. "But I wanted to talk with you first. I was just so worried and embarrassed, I couldn't even imagine telling Bruce, and he's a doctor!"

Taking in how lost and small Echo looked at that moment, Natasha wrapped her in a hug, saying, "I'm glad that you would come to me above the others, especially with something like this."

"Those men just wouldn't understand," Echo whispered, giggling softly with Natasha. She held Echo for another minute, wishing she could protect her more, the natural big sister instinct arising in her.

Leaning away from Echo, Natasha looked her in the eye and said, "If you want, I could get Bruce now, so we can double-check. And so you don't have to face the others right away. I'll make sure no-one else hears."

"Yes please. Thank you, Natasha." She smiled at Echo once more before leaving the room, closing the door securely behind her.

At the click of the lock, Echo's mind seemed to unleash all the thoughts and emotions she had been holding in since she had gone to the bathroom a few hours earlier.

'_What if it's true, and I'm pregnant? How can I raise a child?'_

'_But what if the child is Phoenix's?'_

'_What if Loki is the father?'_

'_How will I react? And my team?'_

'_Oh god, how will _Loki_ react?'_

Echo realized she had been nearly hyperventilating, and took a moment to calm down. Once her heartbeat was at a reasonable speed again, she took another deep breath, before addressing her numerous frantic thoughts.

"Of course I _prefer_ that it is Loki's, I want nothing to do with that bastard Phoenix anymore!" She took a steadying breath, trying to stay calm. "But, what if he doesn't want a child?"

'_What if he leaves me?'_ Echo scoffed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "He is a _God_ after all, and I a mere human. An almost broken mortal at that."

'_All I cause him is trouble and worry – surely he would be better off if he _does_ decide to leave me. I wouldn't blame him – who wants to be burdened with a child that may or may not be his own?'_

By the time Bruce came in with Natasha, Echo was crying silently on the bed, still tormented by her thoughts. Bruce immediately strode over to her, and sat on the bed as Natasha sat on her other side.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he said softly, "Shh, it's all right. It'll be all right, just talk to me."

"I – I think I'm _pregnant_, Bruce," she whispered, wiping her hands over her eyes to stop crying. "How can I be all right? And what if it's not Loki's?"

Echo suddenly tensed as her words caught up to her, and looked up at Bruce with a mortified expression, a hand flying up to cover her mouth. A small grin worked its' way onto Bruce's face, as he remembered catching Loki and Echo in the hallway, but wisely didn't say anything as Natasha gave him a suspicious look.

"Well, see, if there's a chance Phoenix is not the father, then it's not _all_ bad," Bruce said, trying to help Echo relax. Her cheeks were still burning red, but Echo managed a small nod.

Keeping a professional front, Bruce asked seriously, "And when did you partake in such...activities with Mr. Laufeyson?" Even with the tense environment, Echo managed a small grin at how Bruce formed the question.

"The night after I lost control and burned Natasha...and the next few days," she finished quickly, cheeks somehow turning a deeper red.

Natasha had to turn away to not crack up at Echo's blushes, and at Bruce's slowly tinting cheeks over the questions he had to ask. Thankfully the attention was pulled back to Bruce as he put a hand in the pocket of his lab coat, pulling out a few pregnancy tests.

Taking a large water bottle from his other pocket, Bruce said calmly, "Now, let's see if our suspicions are true or not, before we make any more decisions." Echo took the items and slowly walked to the bathroom, looking back at them before she crossed the doorway. "Take as long as you need. We'll be right here," Bruce said softly, and Echo straightened her back, getting the courage to enter the bathroom and close the door behind her.

Bruce sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily. Turning slightly toward Natasha, he murmured, "And now we wait."

"How do you think she'll be if she is pregnant? She's just barely healed from her torture, and with this extra stress, it could easily pull her back into depression," Natasha said softly, making sure her words wouldn't be heard by Echo.

"I don't know – I don't even know how _I'll_ react!" He sighed again, before saying more firmly, "But I do know that we have to be strong for her. We have to be her support system more than ever, because if she is allowed to sink down again, it will be harder than before to bring her back."

Natasha nodded slowly, rolling her shoulders as she realized how tense she had been that whole time. "And, if she is pregnant...how will we figure out the father? I have a feeling Echo will not want to let the others know of the baby until she knows whose it is."

Groaning, Bruce gripped his hair and fell back against the mattress. "Other than tackling Loki as the Hulk while you take some blood, I have no idea. There's also the cheek swab, but how the heck are we supposed to get inside his mouth _without him knowing_?"

Natasha allowed herself to lay back with Bruce, sighing as she stretched, "We could say that Echo contracted a terrible disease, and his blood is crucial for the cure."

Bruce huffed out a laugh, saying, "Oh sure, and freak him out even more than if we told him Echo was pregnant! That'll be great!"

"Don't need to be so snotty. Just an idea," Natasha joked, jabbing Bruce in the side with her elbow. He chuckled, rubbing his side softly, before his laughter died away slowly.

Natasha turned her head towards Bruce, an eyebrow raised in question, but Bruce was staring at the ceiling. "Hold on...doesn't SHIELD have records of all of us? Including blood samples, which if I recall correctly, Phoenix's men used to create those tranqs to subdue us?"

Natasha shot up to a sitting position, rapidly running SHIELD's information through her head. Bruce sat up more slowly, and looked back at Natasha as she said, "You're right. Good thinking, Bruce!"

Bruce only laughed. "Well, it's one thing knowing we have a sample of Loki's blood, but another thing actually _getting_ it if Echo is pregnant."

But Natasha just waved his concerns away. "You just leave that to me. I can get those samples without a problem."

At that moment the bathroom door clicked as it was opened, and they realized that they had been sitting there longer than it had seemed. Echo slowly walked out, leaning heavily on her cane, her face carefully blank.

As they watched her make her way back to the bed, Natasha and Bruce both knew that she wasn't walking slowly because of her injuries, but because of the worry and stress. Despite her attempts to seem calm, they saw her knuckles were white as they clutched the cane, thin lines spread across her forehead, and her eyes were slightly red.

She sank down between them, giving a shaky sigh. Bruce made to speak, but Natasha gave a quick jerk of the head, motioning to allow Echo to talk on her own time. Another minute, and then she spoke.

"They were all positive." They had to strain to hear the nearly inaudible comment, but hear it they did. Natasha put an arm around Echo, holding her close when Echo leaned into the embrace. Bruce looked at Echo sadly for a moment, before catching himself in time.

Clearing his throat, Bruce said softly, "Well, now we need to figure out the father then."

Echo looked up at him anxiously, still within Natasha's arms. "Please don't tell Loki. I – I still need time to handle this, he can't know yet – "

Bruce shared a glance with Natasha, before looking back at Echo. "Don't worry, we have a way to find out whose child that is. And no-one else needs to know until you're ready, OK?" He smiled at her, sighing happily when she nodded back at him.

"Now, Natasha needs to get something for me so I can start the test. Then in a few days time, we'll have the results. For now, all we can do is wait."

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**Okey-dokey, how was that? I'll definitely be going more in-depth with how Echo is feeling, how the others will react, etc, don't worry! But for now, this was a good beginning? Well, to me at least, hehe. ;P Let me know if I should change/improve anything, and I'll be updating on Saturday! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Take care!**

**(Oh, and by the way, anyone going to see Iron Man 3 tomorrow? Or have seen already, you lucky ducks. I'm going my town's premiere tomorrow – SUPER EXCITED!) :D**

**-Ana :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**All righty folks, I'm back! Firstly, I must apologize for I wrote down the wrong day at the end of the last chapter. I meant to say Sunday (today), and didn't realize until I received a few messages asking me why I hadn't updated yesterday. Sorry again for the confusion! :/**

**My brain is nearly dead due to studying for my midterm next week, but I do think I have enough energy to write a decent chapter...hopefully, hehe. ;D As always, much love to my readers, followers, to those who've favorited my story, and to those who've reviewed – Ellize Avalon, WarriorDragonElf54, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove – thanks a bunch! :) Here's the next chapter!**

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Echo slowly walked out of her room, making her way to the living room. Small twinges of pain went through her sides every now and then, but she could feel the minor differences as her body healed gradually. However, after finding out she was pregnant yesterday, she felt as if she were back in square one mentally.

Pausing in the middle of the hallway, she leaned against the wall, rubbing her eyes wearily. _'What am I going to do?'_ She did not like keeping secrets from the others, especially not Loki, but she just couldn't find the courage to tell them just yet. Especially if the child turned out to be Phoenix's.

Echo was hopeful that it would be Loki's, but that still didn't ease her worries on how the others would react. On how Loki would react. Due to her insecurity, she was sure that Loki would leave once he found out she was pregnant. Why would he stay as a father to this half-mortal child, after all.

She tried to keep these thoughts under control, but despite her attempts, they continued to run rampant throughout her mind. She had at least composed herself enough to keep from crying from the stress. But she knew that any little thing would probably break her control and the tears would flow.

She was so absorbed in her distressed thoughts that she did not see Loki come around the corner, hesitating slightly as he saw her leaning against the wall. She came to as he approached her, blinking up at him with a small smile, loving the way his eyes brightened at her smile.

'_But what if he never looks at me like that again? It'll only be with disgust or anger, for keeping something like this from him.'_ She saw how his expression changed to concern, and realized her smile had faded with her sad thoughts.

Clearing her throat, she pushed herself away from the wall to lean on the cane again. "Hi, Loki. How are you?" She cursed inwardly at how pitiful her voice sounded, and she knew Loki heard it too, as his concerned expression didn't change.

"I am well. How are you faring?" Echo nearly closed her eyes at the sound of his deep voice, her heart lifting simply by listening to him. _'I may never hear his voice speak so calmly again.'_ She mentally shook herself, trying to get out of that ditch, but it was too late.

She may never hear that smooth voice saying flirtatious and teasing comments, or that soft voice soothing her after a nightmare, comforting her as she fell asleep again. She wouldn't hear that husky lust-filled voice whispering arousing promises as he groped her, or that sexy deep voice panting dirty words into her ear as he fulfilled those promises. _'Oh, but that's what got you into this mess, girl!'_

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, and answered, "I'm good. Just trying to make it to the couch in one piece." She put on a smile, trying to ease the tension in the air, but to no avail.

Loki frowned at her, and stepped closer. Echo tried not to flinch away, and managed to hide her fear of him somehow figuring out her predicament. "What was the problem yesterday? I feel as if you've been avoiding me since."

He sounded so sad that Echo nearly gave up the ruse and tell Loki the truth. He caught her slight hesitation, and Echo closed her eyes as he said, "You can trust me, echo. I promise I'll try to help you as much as I can."

'_But what if you change your mind after hearing about my "problem"? I couldn't bear that, Loki.'_ Echo sighed and looked up at Loki's expectant expression. "Nothing that bad. I just had..cramps, and wanted to see if Natasha could help me a bit. Since I'm still healing, it was a bit too much for me at that moment to handle."

"You should have come to me, Echo," Loki sighed. His hand reached out for her stomach. "I could have easily relieved that pain for you."

When Loki tried to place his hand on her stomach, Echo nearly jumped backwards, wincing as the movement caused her a bit of pain. Trying to cover up that seemingly unreasonable flinch, which had caused Loki to look at her in surprise, Echo said quickly, "I'm not in any pain right now. But I'll let you know if it happens again, OK?"

A somewhat hurt expression passed over Loki's face, Echo's heart wrenching at the sight of it, but he merely nodded. Placing a small kiss on her forehead, Loki whispered, "Very well. I will be in the lab then...if you need me." He turned away from her, and Echo felt herself fall back against the wall as he disappeared around the corner again.

Looking up at the ceiling, Echo blinked rapidly to keep any tears from escaping. She had been so ready to tell him, and just deal with but then those damned thoughts had bombarded her with doubt. She couldn't find the courage to tell him after that.

She turned back towards where Loki had gone, and saw Natasha walking toward her. "Shh, it's OK. Let's go to the living room, all right?"

Echo finally made it to the couch, with Natasha's help, and dropped down with a sigh. "I almost told him. But I'm still so afraid at how he'll react. But then I don't want to lie to him, and it's just so hard."

Natasha soothed her, saying, "It'll be all right. Bruce has the blood sample, and is working on the test right now. It'll take a few days, but we'll have the results soon."

Echo looked at her, nodding before getting back on her feet to do some exercises. As she was pacing the living room, stretching her sore muscles slowly, Thor came in and sat with Natasha at the kitchen table.

"How are you feeling today, Echo?" Thor boomed, and Echo had to smile at how even when showing care he would shout.

"I'm good, just a little sore," she replied, continuing to pace. Thor watched her with a sad smile, hoping that she would be able to heal completely soon. He knew Loki was still searching for the Other, currently in the lab with Tony manning the machine, and only hoped that his brother would save a piece of the Other for him to deal with.

Steve and Clint were in the gym, he knew, dealing with the stress in their own way, but Thor had had enough of sparring with them, and watched as Echo slowly made her way around the living room.

Sitting beside Thor, Natasha hoped that the test was done soon, but knew that it would take a few days to complete. She could see that the stress was eating away at Echo, and she feared that all the progress Echo had made would be for nothing if they didn't find out the father soon.

She dreaded what would happen if it turned out to be Phoenix's child, giving a small shiver at how the others' would react. Even if she didn't really want a mini-Loki running around, she'd prefer that bastard copied than the other bastard, a grin forming on her face at the thought despite it all.

At that moment Echo winced in pain, and Natasha was up and walking over the next second, needing to get her mind on something else.

* * *

The Other sat completely still in his dark room, concentrating as he prepared to send his spirit across the city. He was certain that the Avengers could not find him, and decided to have a bit of fun at the moment. Closing his eyes, he exhaled and pushed his energy towards the Avengers Tower.

Opening his eyes, he floated invisibly for a moment along the ceiling of the uppermost level, seeing that only Thor and that spy were near Echo. He sensed that the other 5 were further down in the Tower, but knew that it would only take a moment for them to reach that floor.

Finally taking over Echo's mind, he inhaled deeply, only to wince in pain as he tried to step without the cane. He saw the red-haired woman walk toward him, and kept his eyes down, knowing that Echo's glowed blue due to his presence.

Grasping the cane to keep from toppling over, he quickly assessed how injured Echo was, and suddenly froze. Running a scan through her body again, a terrible grin formed on his face, and he breathed, "Excellent."

In another floor, Loki suddenly opened his eyes and growled, "He's here." Quickly using his magic to find out which floor the Other was on, Loki grabbed Tony's arm and teleported to their main floor.

Leaving Tony behind since he was overcome by dizziness, and to notify the others via JARVIS, Loki strode to the living room to see Natasha picking herself off the ground. There was a small dark dent beside her, so apparently she had dove out of the way of Echo's fire. There were scorch marks along the floor, and a few on the walls as well.

Loki looked farther into the room and saw Echo standing there with hands raised defensively. Her eyes were blue and Loki felt a strong wave of hatred go over him. "Release her now!" Loki roared, letting his fury be shown for once.

"And why would I do that, when it garners such wonderful reactions from you and your teammates?" Loki shuddered at how evil Echo's voice sounded, and suddenly wondered whether he had sounded the same under the Other's spell.

"I swear, I will hunt you down and kill you. Slowly, mercilessly, until you are begging for me to stop. And if you do not release Echo, I will make sure you relive every painful memory until your body caves in on itself," Loki growled.

At that point, the others had joined him, and Loki turned as Tony said, "Echo's been through enough for a lifetime. Let her go, or we will be forced to break your hold on her."

She – no, the Other, Loki thought vehemently – sneered at them, "You would hurt her in this condition? She is not only riddled with injuries, but also internal problems as well."

Loki became confused, trying to make sense of the Others' words. _'Internal problems? Her bullet wound? But he separated the internal from the injuries.'_ Why would the Other say something like that? What was he implying?

He caught Natasha glaring at the Other, though a different type of worry from his covering her face. Alongside her, Bruce was clearly struggling not to become the Hulk, the same worry passing across his expression. _'What do they know that I don't?'_

Clint moved forward, his intent clearly being to take her down, but then Bruce suddenly shouted, "No, don't!" Clint froze, along with the others, as Bruce sighed, "Don't hurt her, she's...she's pregnant."

A shock went through Loki's body, accompanied by a strange feeling that he couldn't place, as he processed Bruce's words. _'Echo's..._pregnant_?'_ Suddenly it all made sense. How she had flinched away from his touch earlier, why she tried to avoid him so that he would not question her too much.

Looking back at Echo as the Other laughed, "Oh, this is delightful! Did I ruin the surprise then? My deepest apologies." Loki's rage returned full force at the fact that the Other was not only threatening his lover, but his _pregnant_ lover.

He didn't know if the child was his or not – he couldn't think of that right now – but he knew that if Echo lost the child either way, she would be devastated. Despite it all, he also did not want to harm the innocent life even if it wasn't his.

"You have merely seconds to release Echo's mind before I attack, so you would do well to flee while you still can," Loki growled, his barely suppressed anger leaking into his voice.

The Other laughed then, and Loki immediately prayed that he would never hear that evil laugh coming out of Echo's mouth ever again. "But where is the fun in running? Not when I can tell you how I will kill this mortal _slowly and mercilessly_, I believe your words were."

Loki stepped forward threateningly, but the Other merely ignored him. "How I will slice open her stomach, and tear the unborn child from her body, leaving them both as food for the crows."

As the last word left Echo's mouth, Loki snapped.

Moving before the others could do anything, Loki ran towards Echo. He dodged Echo's fire, but even as he got hit a few times, he merely cooled his skin and continued to run. Grabbing Echo's head, Loki focused as best he could while struggling to hold but not hurt her.

He sent a bit of magic into her mind, searching desperately to find the Other's presence and spell. Finding it quickly, he broke its hold safely, hearing the Other scream in fury.

Loki caught Echo as she fell forward, now unconscious, and held her close as the Other's last words echo throughout the room. "I will return, but when I will not say. You will only have to wait and live in fear. You may run, but know that wherever you go, I will find you and kill you." Then the oppressive feeling left, and Loki breathed in relief as he knew the Other was gone...for now.

He was still holding Echo against his body, frozen in shock, until Bruce said quietly, "I need to check her injuries, to see if anything happened while she was moving around like that."

Loki still didn't completely acknowledge Bruce's words, until Thor gently took Echo from his arms. "It is all right, brother. She is fine."

After Thor laid her on the couch, Bruce quickly looked her over, declaring that nothing serious happened. "She'll just be a little more sore than usual, but otherwise she's all right."

"Bruce." He paused at Tony's tone of voice, looking at him. "Is it true that she's...pregnant?" The air was tense, and Bruce sighed wearily, "Yes. We don't know who the father is yet, and that's why she didn't want to tell everyone yet."

Seeing that the others were ready to explode with questions, he said quickly, "I suggest we wait until Echo is awake again, to answer any more questions. After all, she's the one who'll be the most affected."

With that, he went to the elevator, followed closely by Tony as they went down to the lab again. The others slowly meandered into the kitchen, whispering softly, burning to ask questions, but understanding Bruce's concerns.

Loki was still frozen in that same spot, the strange feeling going through him, trying to make sense of it. He stood there, looking at Echo in a different way, although he knew there was nothing physically different about her. '_It's only what's inside that's different now.'_

Eventually, he moved slowly towards her, and maneuvered himself so that he was sitting on the couch, her head in his lap. Running his fingers through her hair, he looked down at Echo's sleeping face, his mind still running rampant as he tried to grasp the concept that Bruce had so carelessly dropped on them. _'Echo...why didn't you tell me you were...pregnant?'_

* * *

**Meh, I'm not really happy with that ending, but I couldn't figure out how to reword it in a way that would appease me. :/ I hope it was OK anyways, and I will be going more in detail with their reactions and such in the next chapter. Again I'm sorry for misleading you about the update day! I will be updating on **_**Thursday**_**, I promise that's true this time hehe, and until then, I hope you all have a wonderful week! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Okay, guys, I'm back! Man, yesterday I was so pooped after my midterm, I nearly forgot I had another class afterwards. I don't know how I remembered, but thank goodness I did – it was a close call! :P Anyways, enough of my life, you're not interested in that. ;D**

**Enormous hugs and thanks to all my readers, my followers, those who've favorited, and of course to those who've reviewed - Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove, WarriorDragonElf54, Ellize Avalon – my heart swells each time I get a notification telling me of a new review/follow/favorite! Here's another chapter for ya! :)**

* * *

Natasha sighed wearily as she sat in the kitchen. Her head placed in her hands, she tried to gather her thoughts before the others started asking questions. She knew Thor, Clint and Steve were watching her, waiting for her to be ready to answer their concerns. Her heart was still pounding, adrenaline high, and she desperately needed to get that energy out somehow.

When she had approached Echo and seen those glowing blue eyes, she had feared the worst. She didn't even mind almost getting burnt again, more concerned at Echo reinjuring herself because of how the Other made her move. And when Echo had used her power, a sharp fear had gone through her body as she suddenly thought of how that would affect the child.

Thankfully Loki had been able to break the Others' hold on Echo's mind without any physical repercussions, but not before the Other got out his threat towards Echo and the baby. His words still sent a chill through her body, and Natasha dreaded his return in the hopefully not too near future.

But back to Loki. To say he had looked surprised at Bruce's outburst was an understatement. However, his expression had gone strangely blank afterwards, and Natasha truly hoped that he wouldn't do anything rash. For the hundredth time that day, she prayed that the kid turned out to be Loki's.

Someone clearing their throat woke Natasha up out of her revere, and she looked up to see all three men looking at her with concern. Steve was looking at her expectantly, and she signed, taking a deep breath. "All right, so who's first?"

They looked at each other before turning back to her, then Steve asked, "What just happened in there? Echo was taken over the Other, but how did we suddenly figure out that she was pregnant?"

He looked extremely confused, and if Natasha hadn't been so stressed out, she would have laughed at his expression. As it was, the shadow of a smile formed on her lips, and she said, "Yesterday, Bruce and I found out that Echo was pregnant. She made us promise not to tell anyone else until she was ready."

"But then her mind was taken over, but we couldn't just knock her out like we did before. Because of her condition. Luckily Loki moved fast, and although I don't know _what_ he did, it did the job."

Thor watched the emotions that crossed Natasha's face as she spoke, and was surprised to see the amount of worry and stress that was revealed. Over the past few years, he knew that she usually kept her feelings locked up. Now it seemed she barely had any control over them, allowing them to break through her defenses.

Thor was concerned, naturally so, about what the pregnancy might do to his brother and teammate. If the child was not Loki's, it would break both of them beyond repair, and that was something that he would not be able to bear.

He had just barely gotten his true brother back, and Echo had been healing marvelously since her torture. The past days she had seemed to be more stressed than usual, but now the reason for that had been revealed. And the thought of losing them again was too painful to mull over.

Thor knew how much Loki cared for Echo, and hopefully Loki was able to explain that to his lover. He understood why Echo had kept the secret from them, but it did not make the situation any better. For now, he could only hope that the child was indeed Loki's.

The thought of his brother becoming a father brought a small smile to his face, tinged with sadness that came from the worry of how they would react should the results be bad. It would truly be a wonderful thing if they were to become parents', and Thor hoped with all his might that everything would turn out well.

At that moment, Clint's voice got through his thoughts, as he asked Natasha, "So, how did you know before us? You said you and Bruce found out together – was it just by chance, or-?"

"She came to me, asking if we could talk somewhere private. That was actually when you were stuffing your face, and I said we were going to talk girl stuff. I never would have guessed that comment would become so true," she laughed softly.

But then she became serious again, as she looked each of them in the eyes. "We need to treat really carefully now, or else risk having Echo succumb to the stress again. When you ask her questions, try to remain calm. We are all worried, but overreacting is not going to do anything to help."

Loki was in the living room, still running his fingers through Echo's hair subconsciously, one ear on the conversation occurring in the kitchen. He was not really paying attention to them though, for his mind was still running rampant with frantic thoughts.

'_Why didn't she tell me?'_

'_How does she feel about this?_

'_What if it's Phoenix's child?'_

'_Would she want it even if it was mine?'_

Loki looked down at Echo's sleeping face, brushing a stray hair from her forehead, before returning his fingers to thread through her hair again. Her face was calm again, breathes even and deep, her lips slightly parted as she rested after that ordeal.

Without meaning to, his eyes ran down her body until they stopped at her stomach. Since it was still early on, there was no noticeable proof that she was with child, but the fact hung heavy in the air. That his lover, his Echo, was carrying another being that may or may not be the product of their...activities.

He smirked slightly as the memories came back to him, but he shook his head quickly, trying to remain serious. If it _was_ his child, then this would be the ultimate proof of their love. And he could never be prouder.

But if it turned out for the worse – Loki knew that he would remain by Echo's side. He was tied to her now, and nothing would make him leave. Glancing back at Echo's face, he supposed that she did not know that yet. She had kept this secret from him, probably from the fear that he would leave her.

It hurt somewhat that she was still having doubts about their relationship, but when looking from her point of view, he could see why. He could only imagine how it had been for her, discovering that she was pregnant, but not knowing with _whose_ child. Now that he knew the truth, her earlier behavior made sense, and he had seen how the worry had crippled her.

Rubbing her cheek gently, Loki whispered softly, "I am not upset at you for keeping the secret from me. I realize how you must have worried, but I assure you that I will not leave. Silly girl, how could I leave now, after investing so much of myself in you?"

"But I promise you that I will try my hardest, and continue trying, until you see how much I love you. Until you finally realize that I will never _ever_ leave you. What I said to you before was all true, and I hope you are able to understand that soon."

He had grasped Echo's hand at some point, and sat for a bit, rubbing his thumb over the back of it slowly. Staring straight ahead, the murmur of voices still coming from the kitchen, Loki began to muse how he would react if it _was_ his child.

Looking back at Echo's stomach, he murmured, "I wonder," before softly placing his hand on her stomach. Concentrating, he sent out his magic. But although there is most definitely a presence there, it is too early to sense any other magic, if it was his child.

Taking Echo's hand in his again, he settled back into the couch, not realizing he had tensed throughout his experiment. Sighing, he ran his other hand through his hair, and chuckled softly. _'I certainly hope I can be strong if it is mine, but if I could barely control myself throughout that small search, how will I react when the results return?'_

The mere thought of becoming a father was _extremely_ daunting, and he gulped before he could stop himself. Chastising himself for his weakness, he fervently hoped that he would not turn out to be a bad father. _'Oh Yggrdasil, give me strength!'_

* * *

Tony watched as Bruce paced around the lab, picking up objects, only to put them down again after a few steps. He wrote down a few notes, fixed a few equations on the screens, but did not stop moving. It seemed that he had even forgotten Tony was there.

Clearing his throat slightly, that guess was proved true as Bruce nearly jumped a mile in the air. "Whoa there, calm down. It's only me," he said, as Bruce got into a defensive stance as he turned toward him.

Bruce stopped walking finally, shocked out of that revere, and placed his hands on the table in front of him, his shoulder hunched over as he struggled to relax. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and it seemed like a bit of the stress dissipated. At least enough for Tony to approach him safely.

He leant back against the table, supporting his weight on his elbows, and asked casually, "So, how do you think she's doing?"

"Well, physically she's fine. Psychologically...she may need a bit of work, but until we know for sure who the father is, nothing we do will help. The test still needs a few days though," Bruce said, gesturing to his area of the lab, full of vials and dishes containing various liquids.

Tony hummed in agreement, knowing what Bruce said was true. They could try to get her out of that train of thought, but unless the results came back good, that would be a continuous bother in her mind. The gigantic elephant in the room.

"And...how are you doing?" He looked at his partner, genuine concern clear in his eyes. He took in how many lines there were on Bruce's forehead, the dark rings under his eyes, and the way his arms shook slightly from the stress of it all.

Tony reached out a hand, rubbing his shoulder softly until it relaxed under his touch. He moved to stand behind him, an arm wrapped around his waist, resting his chin on Bruce's shoulder as he murmured, "It's all right to be worried. Hell, we all are after that bomb you dropped on us. But, it's no use stressing over it – that won't help anyone."

"I know," Bruce sighed, leaning against Tony slightly. "I'm trying to work on the test with in the mindset that it'll be Loki's child."

He laughed softly, making Tony shake as well since he was standing behind him. "What is it?" Tony asked softly.

"Who knew that I'd be nearly _praying_ for the man who I smashed into the ground to be a father?!"

Tony laughed as well. "Apparently that night they had done more than just grope in the hallways, huh? I knew we should have bet on it!" Tony chuckled as Bruce elbowed him slightly in the side.

"Hmm, according to Echo, they, um, continued the next few days as well," Bruce added quickly, clearly mortified at himself as his cheeks turned pink.

His expression caused Tony to laugh at him again, and he choked out, "JARVIS, is that true?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I do believe that is none of your business. Miss Valentina had asked me to keep their relationship secret at the time." Bruce laughed at Tony's expression, watching as he crossed his arms with a pout.

But then Tony sobered up slightly, and said, "Well, maybe this is the little push that Echo needed to fully heal, if the kid is Loki's."

"If. That's the key word," Bruce sighed, running a hand through his curls.

"Yeah, well, if you think like that then of course it'll be bad. It had to be Loki's, or else we lose Echo. It has to be."

Before Bruce could say something else, JARVIS suddenly cut in, saying, "Sir, Echo is awake. She says she is ready to talk." Tony and Bruce glanced at each other, taking a moment to gather strength, then walked to the elevator, tension thick in the air.

* * *

**Man, I'm never really happy with my endings. They just don't seem very...fulfilling. :P Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, although it is a bit short. Also, I have a bit of news: I will be ending this story in a few chapters, but before you panic, hear me out! There **_**will**_** be a sequel, which I am outlining right now, that I will hopefully be able to start posting right after ending this portion of the story. The journey is far from over, and I hope that you will stick with me to the true end. :D I will be updating on Monday! Until then, take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey there, I'm updating a bit earlier than usual, huh? I have to work on my final, so tried to write a bit yesterday, and then post this as soon as I could today. Thanks again to all my readers, followers, "favoriters", (hehe), and reviewers - WarriorDragonElf54, Loki'sdreamer, DoctorLokiLove – for all your support! I hope this is to your liking! :)**

* * *

Echo awoke to someone threading their fingers through her hair, and kept her eyes closed so they would not stop just yet. Her body felt sore, particularly her sides and arms, so she resisted stretching as that would cause more discomfort.

She wished she could lie there forever, with those fingers combing through her hair, seeming to ease all her troubles away. But as that thought arose, so did her worries about the pregnancy again. Then she realized exactly where she was.

'_Last thing I remember, I was doing my exercises. How did I end up asleep?'_ Begrudgingly, she extended her hands in front of her, stretching slightly, and the fingers in her hair immediately froze. Rubbing her eyes, she opened them to see that she was on the couch, her head on someone's lap.

Looking up, she immediately got caught in Loki's gaze. Tilting her head slightly, she took in his expression. It was strange – worried but also as if he was bursting to ask something. His green eyes stared into hers, a small crease in his forehead and stiff shoulders further revealing how tense he was around her.

She continued to look at him as a few more emotions crossed his face – concern and anxiousness – but also hope? But for what? Then his eyes glanced ever so slightly at her stomach, and her heart dropped. _He knows._

Her fear must have shown on her face, for Loki immediately began soothing her. "Shh, it's all right dear. Here, let's get you upright." With his help, Echo managed to sit up without too much pain, and then began moving her legs over so that she could sit beside him.

However, before she could move an inch, two firm hands grabbed her hips, pulling her backwards so that she sat sideways in Loki's lap. She turned her head towards him, surprised at his actions, but he merely gazed calmly back at her, a shadow of a smirk on his lips.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" Concern was thick in his voice, and Echo had to fight to answer truthfully. _'He knows, so there's no use lying anymore.'_

"I'm fine, just a bit sore. What happened? I think I would've remembered falling asleep, but I don't remember anything after doing my exercises. Did I tire myself out that much?" Looking up at Loki, her eyes widened as she saw how dark his expression had turned.

"The Other – _somehow_ – placed a spell on you, and was able to take over your body for a time." Gripping Echo's hand in his, he took a deep breath to ease his anger. "But, thankfully I was able to break his hold on your mind safely. However, we haven't heard the last of him. He will return...but I will be ready for him."

Echo watched Loki carefully, as his eyes grew unfocused from the memory and his jaw tightened reflexively. Reaching a tentative hand up, she cupped his cheek, effectively bringing him back to the present.

Leaning closer, she brought his head down until their foreheads lightly touched. "Hey, I'm all right. Don't worry about him right now, OK?" She could feel the tension leave his body as he exhaled and closed his eyes, still resting his forehead against hers.

Echo allowed herself a minute to gather her courage, then said softly, "We have other things to worry about now anyways." Loki's eyes flew open, and Echo saw his adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

He straightened up, and Echo's hand slipped off of his cheek. His expression became serious, and for a moment she was afraid that his reaction would be negative. But then his gaze softened, giving her the strength to ask, "What are we going to do, Loki?"

Her voice cracked at the end, and she cringed at seeming so weak. Then she realized she still did not know how he had reacted to the news, and added quickly, "If you still want to be with me anyways."

Loki's heart clenched painfully at those words, before reminding himself that she was just scared. "Of course I want to be with you, Echo. I will remain by your side for always – I may not have felt this way when we first started out, never even dreaming I could either, but now I could never live without you." Loki put his hands on either side of her face, bringing her closer, saying, "Please, believe me."

Echo nodded slowly, her eyes searching his intently. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and she threw her arms around his neck without warning.

Loki sighed deeply – he knew that she was still afraid, but this would have to do for now. Placing a firm hand on her back as she burrowed her face into his neck, he caught movement in the corner of his eye.

Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw Steve, Clint, Thor, and Natasha peeking in from the kitchen. Waving them away with his free hand, he mouthed, "Get Tony and Bruce." Natasha nodded, and then they disappeared into the kitchen again.

Echo lifted her head then, and Loki was surprised to see that her eyes were dry. He was not sure if it was good or not if she was not crying. In the long run, it would most certainly be worse if she kept her emotions and stress locked up. But she gave him a shaky smile, glancing toward the kitchen as the elevator dinged.

"Everyone's waiting, but you can take all the time you need," Loki said softly, bringing her attention back to him. He felt how tense she had become after hearing the elevator, and gripped her hand gently in his.

It worked to relax her slightly, and more of the tension dissipated as she took a deep steadying breath. "Let's just get this over with."

Loki waited patiently as she carefully slid off his lap, placing a firm hand on her hip to keep her steady as she stood. She grabbed her cane then, and Loki walked beside her as she slowly made her way to the kitchen. The murmur of voices quieted until the silence was almost overbearing as they entered.

As Loki had hoped, no one started firing questions and make it even more stressful for Echo. Instead they waited patiently as Echo made her way to the table, placing her hands on the top to lean her weight against them, regaining her energy.

Loki sat down, moving a chair out so she could sit beside him, but she only shook her head. She looked down, closing her eyes as she struggled to stay strong, and Loki grew saddened again to see her looking so small and frail.

Echo looked up again, and everyone immediately perked up. "Well, as you all know now, I'm pregnant." She paused, her expression becoming strained from the stress she felt, before continuing again. "I didn't want to tell you yet because I was unsure of whose child it was. But, I guess I couldn't really control what happened earlier, so that's that."

"Now, it's out in the open, and I have to tell you that...I'm scared, about what will happen next. I – I don't know what to do." Echo blinked, the urge to cry becoming stronger as she continued to talk. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she fought to keep her tears in, tired of feeling so weak.

"How did you find out?" Echo's head snapped up at Tony's question, and she finally took in everyone's stance, having been too afraid to look at anyone until then. They were all concerned, that was for sure, but as she took in their appearances, she was nearly overwhelmed by the amount of understanding and support they were giving off.

Thor was leaning forward slightly, his hands clasped in front of him on the table, and the only bit of tension Echo could see was in the little furrow between his eyebrows. On the whole, however, he portrayed sympathy, and it warmed her heart to see that.

Clint and Natasha were sitting nearly on the same seat, their chairs were so close to each other. While Natasha was looking at her with concern, a small smile of encouragement on her lips, Clint seemed to be fighting internally. Echo arched an eyebrow, but at the first sign of the smirk he had tried to keep away, Echo immediately knew what he was thinking.

Natasha caught sight of his expression, and elbowed him discreetly in the ribs, causing him to scoot away miserably. Steve was sitting opposite Loki, who was to her right, and he seemed a bit confused. His eyes shone with care, but she could tell that he was trying to figure out something – what, she wasn't sure.

Bruce had acquired a cup of tea at some point, and was sipping at it as he rested his hip against the kitchen counter. Since he knew beforehand, he did not seem as on edge as the others. However, Echo could tell from his eyes that he had had some sleepless nights since then, worrying.

Tony was leaning back against the fridge, his arms folded loosely across his chest, and although his concern was clear, his gaze was soft as he waited for her answer. Forgetting the question for a moment, it suddenly came back to mind, and she said, "Well, it was just a suspicion at first. I realized I had missed my period, and asked Natasha and Bruce for some help. That's when it was confirmed, and now...we're waiting for the results to come back."

Loki carefully took hold of her hand, and she realized she had been digging her nails into the table top. Worried, she glanced at him, but he only smiled back, gripping her hand gently.

Bruce spoke up then, saying, "Yes, the results should be ready the day after tomorrow. We'll have to hope for the best, but for now the father is still a mystery."

Thor opened his mouth, about to speak, but then Steve suddenly cut in, "What do you mean 'a mystery'?" Everyone looked at Steve with surprised expressions, and Echo finally understood why he had looked confused earlier. _'He didn't realize yet?'_

Echo looked at Loki in the corner of her eye, and made immediate eye contact. She could feel her cheeks heat up with a blush, a smile playing on her lips, and Loki seemed to be in a similar position. Her fingers tightened reflexively in his grip, as his pale cheeks tinged a soft pink.

"Steve, are you really that clueless? Did you and Bucky not get it on yet, or what?" Tony said, fighting to keep in his laughter, still leaning casually against the fridge.

Steve's blush only grew as Clint added, "Yeah, I've heard of "40 year old virgin" but 70 year old? Come on!"

"Actually, it's 90 year old, I think." Then Tony seemed to take pity from Steve's burning face, and sighed, "Capsicle, it's a mystery because we're not sure if Phoenix is the dad or not, duh."

"Then who el–" Steve started, but suddenly cut off as he finally figured it out. His eyes immediately zoned onto their clasped hands, before looking back and forth between Loki and Echo, his cheeks tinted with red. "You...two...fondue?"

A sudden burst of laughter surprised them, and all heads turned toward Natasha. She was leaning against Clint, shaking as she tried to contain her giggles. "I'm sorry, I just – fondue?!"

She continued to crack up, and her laughter was infectious. Bruce began to chuckle softly into his tea, as did Clint beside Natasha, looking at her as if he had never seen her before. Thor simply guffawed with glee, while Tony wiped tears from his eyes. "Man, at least _you_ weren't the ones to catch them in the hallway! You probably would have fainted at the sight!"

Loki immediately stiffened, remembering how he had heard something before disregarding it that night. "You little – do you have no sense of privacy?!"

Before Tony could retort, Echo asked, "Why didn't you say anything, if you knew about us?"

"Well, I convinced him otherwise, to allow the both of you to tell us all when you were ready," Bruce put in calmly, smiling at her grateful expression. Although he was still miffed about being discovered prematurely, Loki managed a nod of thanks at the doctor, knowing it could have been a lot worse if Tony had had his way.

As they all settled down again, Echo said, "I'd just like to say, thank you, for all your support. But I'd like to let you know that, even if the child is not Loki's...I will be keeping it. It would not be the baby's fault that its father was an asshole, so I will try to raise it as well as I can. And I only hope that you'll still be behind me if it does turn out for the worst."

The kitchen exploded in agreement, as everyone put in their promises to support her no matter what. The care and love that washed over Echo almost made her start crying again, but she managed to keep a smile on her face.

Loki stood up then, and pulled Echo close gently, ignoring the sniggers as he kissed her on the forehead. "We will be here for you, Echo, every step of the way." Her eyes shone up at him, full of gratitude, and Loki wished again that everything would turn out well.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed relatively peacefully. Clint and Natasha went down to the gym to spar a bit, relieving stress in a familiar environment. Steve decided to go see Bucky, after asking Echo and Loki if it was all right to spread the news.

After a moment's hesitation, Echo said he could tell everything. Bucky had been there with the others when they had been captured, and had been present to hear her being tortured as well. He may not be part of the original team, but neither was she – he deserved to know the truth.

Later on, as everything began to quiet down again, Loki found himself sitting beside Echo, watching an action movie with Thor and Tony. Bruce had retired earlier, due to his lack of sleep the past few days. Loki wasn't really paying attention to the screen, more concerned about Echo.

When she did not know he was looking, her face fell until it seemed she could never be happy again. He did not want to draw any more attention to her though, and only held her closer against his side when this happened.

With a sigh, Echo rose to her feet shakily, just barely tugging at Loki's hand as she did. Turning towards them, she said, "Good night, gentlemen. I'm a bit tired – tell me how the movie goes."

"May you have a firm sleep, as you Midgardians say!" Thor bellowed, clearly pleased with himself at knowing the phrase. Echo simply looked at him in bemused confusion, as Loki groaned in exasperation.

Rolling his eyes, Tony said, "I think he means sleep tight, honey. Go relax - you look like hell." Making a shooing motion with his hands, Tony grinned as she deliberately walked in front of the TV to block it for a second, sticking her tongue out at him.

After about ten minutes, Loki got up himself and made his way to his bedroom. Once in his room, however, he pulled on his black sweats, then concentrated and teleported into Echo's room.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but he soon found her bed and saw her form curled up under the sheets. "Echo?" He walked over, lifting the covers and lying on his side behind her.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he became worried when he felt her shaking. "Please, turn around." She shook her head, and Loki asked, "For me?"

After another hesitation, she turned slowly, and Loki realized why she had not wanted to. Whimpering as her bruises and injuries pressed into the mattress, it became too painful for her once she reached her back, and she had to stop.

Loki raised himself up on his elbow so that he was looking down at her. Wiping away the tears that streaked down her cheeks, he whispered, "It'll be OK. Shh, it'll be OK." Planting light kisses on her cheeks, forehead, he tried soothing her as best he could.

"You have a team of friends who would protect you from anyone, and who support you as good as any family would. I will always be here for you also, and nothing will ever change how I feel. Shh, stop crying. It'll be fine."

He kissed away a last stray tear that had escaped, then looked into her eyes again. He saw her fear and uncertainty, but also saw the love and trust she had in him hidden deep within the brown orbs.

Sighing in relief, he left another small kiss on her forehead before laying back on his side. He pulled her gently closer, holding her in his arms as he placed soft kisses in her hair. Her tears gradually stopped flowing, and within a few minutes her breathing slowed as she succumbed to sleep.

As he watched Echo sleeping, Loki took in how relaxed she was now, as opposed to how pained she was earlier, and wished that he could help her heal faster.

He only knew simple healing spells, but with all her injuries, all he could do for her was to ease the pain for a few hours. _'I must ask Thor to help me tomorrow, no matter how much it irks me. I cannot bear to see Echo in pain any longer.'_ With that in mind, he fell into a deep sleep, clutching Echo closer to him subconsciously.

* * *

**Oh lord, I had fun writing this one too. I mean, it was serious at parts, but just clueless Steve ('fondue', *giggles uncontrollably*), and usual sarcastic Tony – these are the times I really love writing, hehe. ;D Well, now we've seen a bit more of their reactions, it's all out in the open – now they just have to wait another two days. I hope this chapter was to your satisfaction! I'll be updating again on Friday! Have a good week, and take care everyone!**

**-Ana :)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey guys, how are you doing? Hopefully all is well – it's Friday, so it can't be all bad! ;D Hehe, and so much for updating early. Distractions, they really affect me badly. :P Huge thanks to all my lovely readers, followers, to those who've favorited, and to those who've reviewed – DoctorLokiLove, WarriorDragonElf54, Loki'sdreamer – you all make my day that much better! :) Here's another update!**

* * *

Loki woke up slowly, dragging his heavy eyelids open with effort, squinting against the morning light. He moved to stretch, but something was cuddled up against his side and lying on his left arm.

Momentarily confused, he blinked and looked down at his side – before a small smile crossed his face when he saw Echo snuggled against him. Her soft brown hair was in complete disarray, spread out across the pillow, and her cheeks were slightly tinted pink.

Loki took a moment to simply look at his lover, brushing a strand of hair from her face gently. The tiniest of smiles graced her lips, her face was one of complete tranquility, and Loki fervently wished that it could stay like that forever.

Loki held his breath as she shifted slightly, then frowned as he noticed her eyebrows furrow and a small whimper of pain escaped her lips before she settled down again. Remembering what he had decided the night before, he placed a kiss on her cheek, then carefully maneuvered his arm from under her neck.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered before teleporting back to his room. Loki paused as he was buttoning his dress shirt, looking down at his clothes before shaking his head and taking it off again.

Using a bit of magic to summon some casual Asgardian wear, he rapidly pulled on the leather pants, simple green collared shirt, and black boots he used to normally wear around the palace. Looking in the mirror, he combed his fingers through his hair once before deeming himself presentable.

Exiting his bedroom, Loki hoped he would not have to search the entire Tower for his brother. The sooner they left, the sooner he could be back to help Echo. He hated having to leave her like this, but knew that it would be worth it in the end. _'And to think I trust these heroes to look after her whilst I'm gone. Who would have thought?'_

As he turned the corner into the kitchen, Loki immediately spotted Thor, stuffing his face yet again with those dreadful sugary pastries. Bruce and Natasha were sitting around the table with him, and nodded their heads in greeting, still trying to wake up completely.

"Brother! I assume you rested well?" Thor smiled up at him innocently, but the smirk on Natasha's face could have rivaled Tony's. Bruce, thankfully, was merciful and continued to sip his tea, not rising to the bait.

Loki willed himself not to blush, and said as calmly as he could, "Yes, my sleep was fine. But I have more pressing matters to speak of. If you could join me–?" Loki motioned to the balcony, and Thor nodded before getting up, grabbing another Pop-tart along the way.

Once they were out of earshot of the others, on the other side of the glass windows, Loki turned to Thor and said, "I wish to journey to Asgard, and research healing spells that could help Echo. I can't stand to see her in pain anymore, and if I have the ability to help her, then I will."

"I know we have returned and all is well between our parents now, but I would be grateful if you would join me. To find the spells faster, of course," Loki stated quickly, not wanting Thor to dwell on the fact that he simply wanted some support.

However, the warmth in Thor's eyes showed all too clearly that he knew the true reason why Loki wanted Thor beside him. But instead of being smug, he simply said, "Aye brother, I will aid you. Let us go, so we may return quickly."

A small bit of relief went through Loki, and he lowered his walls for a brief moment to say, "Thank you, brother." Thor beamed, and Loki composed himself after another short moment. "Very well, I will prepare for the journey, as you notify the others where we will be. No more than two Midgardian days should pass while we are away."

As Loki walked around to a higher point of the Tower, Thor went back inside to relay the message. Glancing around, his eyes paused slightly on the spot where he had had Dr. Selvig create that blasted portal. He shut his eyes as the memories fought to rise to the front of his mind.

To think he had been standing in this exact spot, being forced to take over these Midgardians, only two years ago. And now he was there again, only this time on the same side as those heroes who had defeated him. He would never be more grateful that they had accepted him into the team. After a rough start, of course, but they had understood him in time, which was more than anyone had ever done for him.

At that moment, Thor came into his line of sight, and Loki blinked, bringing himself back to the present. Grasping Thor's arm when he was close enough, Loki asked, "Ready?" Thor nodded, and Loki concentrated on their destination before releasing a bit of his magic to project them across the distance.

When Loki opened his eyes again, they were in front of the towering golden palace they had grown up in. Releasing his brother's arm, Loki immediately made his way to the palace doors. Thor was right beside him, not affected by the teleportation, as he was used to traveling similarly in the Bifrost.

Huge doors slammed open as they passed through, and the two Princes walked through the grand halls side by side, heading for Loki's old chambers. He had returned a few times since the battle of New York, but Loki never got tired of seeing his home.

The halls through which he had dashed this way and that to escape guards, with Thor usually laughing gleefully right behind him. The mighty doors that lead to either libraries in which Loki had loved to spend his days, or abandoned halls where Loki could practice his craft safely. Glancing to his side, Loki smiled as he saw his brother clearly reminiscing as well.

"Boys!" A clear, strong voice suddenly called, and Loki froze with Thor, before turning slowly around. A tall, strong woman was walking towards them, and a broad smile crossed Loki's face as he recognized his mother.

Frigga looked well, despite the minor crinkles in the corners of her eyes, and she held herself as straight and proper as she always did. Her eyes were shining as she looked up at them, her arms spread open in greeting, and a fond smile was on her lips.

Walking the final steps to her sons, Frigga reprimanded, "Where you simply going to visit and not let your own mother know? I thought I raised you two better!" Loki rolled his eyes as Thor grumbled under his breath, but it was all in jest.

As he allowed her to envelop him in an enormous hug, a load of stress was lifted off of Loki's shoulders, as it always was when his mother held him. Although his relationship with his father had been tough in the beginning, Loki had always loved Frigga with all his heart.

Watching as Thor greeted their mother as well, Loki remembered how it had been when he had returned to Asgard the first time after New York.

_Thor looked pointedly at Loki, and he grudgingly clicked the Tesseract into place, wanting to lash out but for that dreadful muzzle he had over his mouth. The air around them crackled, not unlike when they were summoned via the Bifrost._

_Loki closed his eyes against the flashing lights and blurring colors, not wanting to become dizzy with his mouth covered. Even the mere thought made his stomach flop, and he turned his thoughts to different topics._

_He wondered how his so-called parents would react – they would probably yell and scream at him, and then simply lock him away to never deal with again. He sighed miserably, wanting to speak and explain what had happened after he had fallen from the Bifrost._

_But of course, now that he was finally in control of his mind again, no-one would listen to him. He was still confused as to how he had regained control, but glad nonetheless. Something had happened after that beast had used him to dig a ditch into the floor, and suddenly Loki found his thoughts were more lucid and straight-forward again._

_At that moment, Loki felt himself jerk to a stop, only his tight grip on the Tesseract keeping him from falling over. "Loki!" He opened his eyes ever so slowly, not wanting to deal with anyone right now, least of all Odin or Frigga._

_Of course, none other than those two were walking quickly towards him and Thor. Loki expected Odin to be glaring at him, his one good eye full of rage and disbelief at what Loki had attempted to do with the Midgardians and their realm. Loki expected Frigga to lecture him about how disappointed she was with him, and that she would never be able to trust him._

_Loki had braced and mentally prepared himself for an onslaught of disapproval from the Asgardian King and Queen. What he got instead made him freeze in shock, caught completely off-guard._

_As Frigga got closer, Loki was greatly surprised to see tears of joy and relief flowing from her eyes. He looked at her skeptically, taking in her tired eyes, creased forehead, back ever so slightly bowed – all signs of having been stressed or worried. _'But why would she be worried about me, the traitorous Prince?'

_Then Loki gave a small gasp as Frigga held him tightly, her hand coming up to cup the back of his head while the other rubbed his back gently. "Don't you ever scare us like that again, Loki," came the whisper that made Loki's heart wrench painfully._

_Leaning back, Frigga made to cup his face, but then her expression turned angry again as she saw the muzzle he wore. "Get these filthy things off my son! Immediately!"_

_Loki could only look on in complete bewilderment as the just as confused guards unlocked the chains from his wrists, and the muzzle from his mouth. When he was freed, Frigga immediately placed kisses on his cheeks and forehead, before cupping his face as she had wanted to earlier._

_Looking him dead in the eyes, she said firmly but softly, "We love you as any parent would their son, and we were _so_ heartbroken when you fell from the Bifrost." Someone moved behind Frigga, and Loki looked up to see Odin standing there._

_Loki stared back as Odin looked at him with what seemed to be indifference. Then – and Loki could hardly believe his eyes – his father walked forward and pulled him into a firm hug. "I apologize deeply for my actions, and for keeping the secret of your true heritage from you. You may accept or reject these apologies, but I only wish that you would forgive me in the end."_

_Frigga came beside Loki again, joining the group hug. "We love you, Loki. You are, and _always will be_, our son."_

_Something that Loki had spent years hardening and hiding from everyone finally cracked, and he found himself sobbing with his mother, still within the firm embrace of both his parents. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

Loki blinked back to the present as his mother turned toward him again. "So, for what reason did you decide to visit? Although I wish it, you did not come simply to visit me, correct?"

Loki chuckled, a bit ashamed of the truth, and Thor admitted grudgingly, "Aye, we are here for another purpose. Although, we do greatly enjoy seeing you again Mother." Frigga just smiled, waving away their excuses before looking at Loki expectantly.

"I need to learn better healing spells, and we are here to search for them." _'Please don't ask why, please, please–'_

"Do you not know spells already? Why do you need more complex ones? Are you two hurt?" Frigga immediately glanced over them both, trying to see if they were hiding a wound that would require such a spell.

Loki sighed tiredly. _'Just remain calm, don't make her suspect anything. Breathe, and–'_ "A, um, teammate of ours is injured, and I, uh, would like to help her heal faster. I do not enjoy, eh, seeing her in pain." _'Oh, good, brilliant. She won't suspect _anything_ now, you idiot.'_

"I see," Frigga said slowly, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she took in how fidgety Loki was, the slight tinge on his cheeks being the finishing touch. "And this teammate, she is special to you?"

Loki blushed, cursing inwardly at how easily she was able to read him, before nodding curtly. "Very well. I shall search in the main library, and Thor, I suggest you look in the eastern. Loki, you check your chambers and the western library."

When they didn't move immediately, Frigga looked at them expectantly and said, "Well, off you go boys! Time is slipping away!"

As he left to search, Loki shook his head at how incompetent Frigga could make them feel even after all these years. Well, she _was_ their mother after all. With another shake of his head, a small smile forming on his lips, Loki made his way to his chambers to begin his search.

* * *

The room was so silent, Loki swore he could hear his own heartbeat. Lamps were lit in each corner, more set up along the walls within seven feet of each other, making for a nice setting in the library. Rows upon rows of books of all types were organized throughout the massive room.

It seemed like an extremely daunting task to sort through the myriad of books, but Loki had spent so much time within these walls as a child that it was the simplest chore to search for the spells he needed. After finding quite a few spells that would be helpful, Loki spent a good portion of his time simply sitting and memorizing them until he knew them perfectly.

His mother and Thor had come to him at different points, each time leaving a pile of three or four books for him to skim through. Some books contained spells that he memorized right then, but others he decided to keep and bring to Midgard for future reference.

Half the day had passed, and if Loki's calculations were correct, the day was already over in Midgard. He hoped that Echo was not too sad that he had left without telling her. But he couldn't allow the guilt to overpower him, as he _was_ searching for something to help her.

Now that he felt comfortable with the new spells he had learned, Loki turned his research to a new issue. Immortality. If the child Echo bore turned out to be his – and no his heart did _not_ just flutter anxiously at the thought – then it would certainly have the same lifespan as he did.

He did not want his child to lose their mother, and _he_ did not want to lose his lover to something he could have prevented. Flipping through another volume on prolonging a life span, Loki grunted in annoyance as it once again proved fruitless.

'_Surely _one_ of these books must contain information on the Apples of Eden? I simply need to know whether a mortal can eat an Apple without any serious consequences.'_ What would be even more helpful is if it said clearly if a _pregnant_ mortal would suffer any repercussions.

Loki was sure his mother knew something on this matter, but did not want to break the news to his parents just yet. If the child did not turn out to be his, then he did not know how Frigga or Odin would react. He was fearful of how they would react of Echo even if it _was_ his child she bore.

No, he needed to keep the extent of their relationship a secret for now. He would tell them when the time was right – when he was comfortable, and when Echo was ready as well. A shiver went unbidden through Loki as he wondered yet again how his parents, especially Frigga, would take the news of his relationship with a mortal.

'_That is an entirely different challenge, and not one I am ready to deal with at the moment,'_ Loki huffed, replacing a book on the shelf neatly, before turning his attention to the next row of books.

* * *

The day was drawing to an end in Asgard, meaning that it was evening of the second day in Midgard. Rubbing his eyes wearily as he made his way back to the main hall, Loki attempted to regain focus after scouring through those books the whole day.

He felt around for his magic, and was relieved to find that although he felt tired, his magical energy was still fresh. He would need it for the journey home, and to heal Echo completely and efficiently when he returned.

Upon reaching the hall, he was relieved to find Thor and Frigga both waiting for him. They each had a few books in their arms, as he had brought some for future reference as well. Placing them in a pile on the floor, he concentrated and in the next second they had been whisked away, having sent them to his room in the Tower.

Beginning to gather his energy to transport himself and Thor back to Midgard, Loki turned to Frigga to bid her farewell. "Thank you, for all your help. I would have had to stay for a few days at least to go through every book."

"It was not only me, dear. Your father helped me as well," Frigga said with a smile, motioning to someone behind Loki. He turned to see Odin walking towards them, coming from the direction of the throne room.

"Well, I thank you as well then," Loki said, offering a grin in greeting.

"Aye, Father. You have helped a good cause. Our teammate will surely be grateful for all you've done," Thor boomed. Loki glared at him pointedly, least he reveal anything he shouldn't.

Of course, when he looked back at Frigga's amused expression, he realized he should have guarded his emotions a bit more. Rolling his eyes, Loki walked to his parents, hugging them in turn as he said his goodbyes.

When Thor was done, Loki readied himself for the journey back, gripping Thor's arm steadily. "Loki." He opened his eyes to look at Thor in question. "Would you drop me at Jane Foster's residence? I wish to see her again, as I have not in a few months. Could you grant me this favor?"

Although Loki was eager and impatient to see Echo again, he knew how much longer he would have had to stay in Asgard if he had been searching alone. Nodding with a grin, Loki complied, changing their destination before summoning his magic.

For a moment, they zoomed in between realms, and then they were in front of Jane's lab. Thor grinned happily at Loki, giving his thanks before walking over to Jane who had already spotted them.

Waving back briefly, Loki closed his eyes again and pictured New York and the Tower. It had been two Midgardian days since he had last seen Echo, and he was eager to hold her in his arms again. He also needed to make sure she was faring well without him there. _'I am coming Echo, do not despair.'_

* * *

**Okey-dokey, we had a brief introduction of Odin and Frigga – I hope I wrote that flashback and their little interactions all right. I tried my best! :) Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If there's anything I should improve/add, fire away! I'll be updating on Tuesday! Till then, have a good weekend!**

**-Ana :)**


	34. Chapter 34

**Oh my gosh, it's so nice to stay home! I'm allowing myself to be a bit lazy today, since it's my first day of break, so I'll probably go watch a movie after this, hehe. I'll try not to become a total bum though. ;D As always, my biggest thanks and hugs to all my readers, followers, to those who've reviewed – DoctorLokiLove, Loki'sdreamer, WarriorDragonElf35 – and to those who've favorited my story! It really means a lot! :) Here's another update for you!**

* * *

Echo sat in the living room alone, flipping through the channels slowly, bored but unable to do anything. The glow of the setting sun shone through the wall-sized windows, and cast a reddish-orange tinge over everything. After glancing around, she found herself staring blankly at one of Tony's scotch tumblers, apparently captivated by the way the sun reflected off of it.

Shaking her head to get out of the revere, Echo flicked off the TV before tossing the remote onto the couch beside her. Sighing, she laid her head back against the cushion for a moment, her eyes slowly scanning the room – for what, she did not know.

Steve and Bucky were down in the gym with Tony, while Bruce was taking a break from the lab and had apparently gone to meditate to relax a bit. She hoped that he would be fine afterwards, a bit of guilt working its way into her since she knew he was stressed because of her condition.

Natasha and Clint had gone down to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, to inform Fury and the others about the situation. They had all agreed on this decision, so it was not as if they were betraying Echo's secret or anything. Echo knew they would never do anything without letting the other know first.

A small frown made its way onto her face as she remembered how she had woken up to an empty bed the day before. Echo was not ashamed to admit that her heart had nearly stopped at Loki's absence, and that she had had to really fight to not break down completely.

But, before her worries got the best of her, she had gone to the kitchen as fast as she could, hoping someone knew where Loki had gone...and why. She had dashed – well, as best as she could being injured and with a cane – into the room to find Bruce, Natasha, and Clint sitting around the table.

Within her haze of panic and worry, she had not registered the amused expressions on their faces as she asked them rather frantically if they knew where Loki was. Already fighting back tears from the fear that Loki had left her finally, she nearly gave in when Bruce told her calmly that Loki and Thor had just gone to Asgard for a bit.

It seemed they had noticed her state, for the smiles were gone from their faces when she blinked away the unshed tears. But she had simply told them she was fine, it had just given her a little shock to not see him there.

'_Little was an understatement,'_ Echo mused, becoming surprised when she realized a few tears had escaped her eyes as she had become lost in her memories. Now it was the evening of the day after he had left, and she hoped that they would return soon.

Echo wanted to see Loki again, needed to see that fantastic smile, and those wonderful eyes that shone whenever he looked at her. Needed to feel those arms around her – she needed to feel safe again.

Shivering involuntarily, Echo slowly got off the couch to look out the windows. She would never get used to see the city lighting up little by little as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. The living room was nearly fully dark, but Echo didn't feel like turning on the lights just yet.

Looking up at the night sky, Echo wondered again when Loki would be back. Her loneliness was starting to get the best of her, and try as she might, she could not fight back the memories in her weak state.

The darkness reminded her of being tortured by the Other, or being blindfolded as Phoenix beat her and broke her little by little. Remembering Phoenix brought back how she had felt when discovering that she was pregnant. A hand rose to lie on her as-of-yet flat stomach subconsciously, the fear that the child was not Loki's strengthening until she could not take it anymore.

Everything crashed over her like a tidal wave, and all the tears she had held back from being tortured, all the times she had hidden her weakness from her teammates since returning came pouring out. Leaning her forehead on the cool glass, she trembled as the tears rolled down her cheeks, the stress finally becoming too much for her.

"Oh Loki, I need you."

* * *

Loki teleported into his room, grinning as he saw the books already on his shelves as he hoped they would be. But before he could congratulate himself on the minor success, JARVIS surprised him by saying, "Mr. Laufeyson, Miss Valentina is a bit unstable at the moment. I believe she requires your attention."

Panicked, Loki ran out to the living room, slowing slightly as he noticed it was completely dark inside. As his eyes adjusted, he found Echo standing beside the window, a hand curled against her stomach. Her shoulders were shaking slightly from crying, and she was leaning rather desolately against the glass.

Frowning at the lack of their teammates to keep her company, Loki shook his head as he made his way towards her, pushing that thought aside to focus solely on Echo. As he came closer, he could hear the small hiccups she was making, obviously _still_ trying to keep her tears in.

Concerned as to why she was crying, Loki walked up behind her, whispering, "Shh, what's wrong? I'm here, it's OK." He wrapped his arms around her waist, gently pulling her close, ever mindful of her injuries.

Loki heard her take a deep breath, then she turned her head slightly and whispered in a broken voice, "I'm so afraid, Loki."

His heart clenching at how frightened and insecure she sounded, feeling the way she still trembled within his arms, he kissed the side of her neck in an attempt to sooth her. "What is the matter, Echo? Tell me."

Another shaky breath, then, "If you would still want to be with me after all that has happened. After I was used, like a dirty _tool_, and now I'm pregnant. Would you still love me after all this, even if the child is not – is not yours."

Echo felt Loki tense behind her, and fearing the worst, attempted to flee. But before she could take one step however, she was turned around and held against a firm chest by equally strong arms. Loki placed a soft kiss on her hair, before saying firmly, "I promise that I will stay with you, even if the child you are carrying is not mine. I will love you forever, and I will care for the child as my own, being as good a father as I can. I will _never_ leave you, and nothing can _ever_ change how I feel about you. I love you, Echo."

Hearing these blessed words brought sweet relief to Echo, and Loki could _feel_ the tension leaving her body as she began to cry into his shirt. Her arms came up to grip the front of his shirt, burrowing her face into his chest, holding him to her as if he was her lifeline.

In a way, that was true, and Loki vowed to himself that he would never hurt her, never say such harsh words to her, again. Rubbing her back soothingly, placing soft kisses on her head, they stood, slowly rocking back and forth in the dark room.

Loki did not know how long Echo cried, and realized that his shirt was probably soaked by the end. But he only continued to hold her closer, reassuring her without words that he would remain by her side always. Her tears slowly lessened until she was merely sniffling, still glued to his front, apparently not wanting to let go just yet.

Eventually though, the room became quiet as Echo finally rid herself of all her restrained tears. Taking one more moment for her to calm down, Loki leaned away slightly, putting his fingers underneath her chin to tilt her face upwards. "Are you all right now?"

She smiled softly, whispering, "Yeah. I'm sorry," Echo said quickly, wiping her face a bit roughly to get rid of the tear marks. Loki stopped her hand, gently cleaning her face until the only evidence of her crying was in her slightly red eyes.

"Now come with me, all right? I'm going to make this better, as much as I can." Loki carefully lifted Echo up, kissing her softly on the cheek when she wrapped her arms around his neck. Taking care not to trip over anything in the darkness, Loki carried her to his room.

Shutting the door quietly with his hip, Loki managed to turn on the lights without his hands, laughing quietly with Echo at his antics. Laying her carefully on the bed, Loki told her, "Just lay back and relax." Echo looked up at him with confusion, but did as he said and got comfortable against the pillow and blankets.

When she was settled appropriately, Loki crawled onto the bed and over her until he was looking down at her, chuckling softly at her amused expression. "Just relax," he said again, leaving a chaste kiss on her lips. She nodded imperceptibly, hesitant but trusting him nonetheless.

Remembering the spells he had spent the past day memorizing, Loki concentrated and in the next instant his hands tingled from his magic. A barely visible green glow covered his body, and Loki took in Echo's rapt expression as she gazed up at him.

With a simple flick of his wrist, Echo was rid of her shirt so that he could reach her injuries better, leaving her in a black bra. She looked shocked for a moment, before muttering, "Well, it's nice to know you can simply will away my clothing." Looking up at him with a naughty smile, she said, "You better not do that when we're in public."

Loki chuckled. "I would _never_, Echo. How must you think of me?" She only smirked up at him, and Loki turned his attention back to her front. Cuts and whip marks littered her tan skin, bruises marring her otherwise perfect complexion, and Loki frowned at having left this off for so long.

Leaning down, Loki gently ran his fingers over the cuts, watching as they disappeared one by one. A few bigger marks left light scars, but he simply kissed them one last time, and they were barely noticeable. The larger and uglier bruises gave him more trouble, and Loki worked his fingers into them gently, trying not to hurt Echo anymore than she had been.

So Echo she was fine, only whimpering in pain when Loki healed a particularly bad bruise or cut. When her skin was devoid of marks, only a few small scars left behind, Loki – having removed her pants as well to work on her legs as well, leaving her in her bra and underwear – turned his attention to her worst injuries.

Starting on her left leg, Loki caressed her calf gently and directed his magic to flow through to the bone. Mending the split properly, he heard Echo give a little cry as he finished repairing the break. Looking up at her, Echo gave him a shaky smile, saying, "I'm all right. Go on."

Loki moved up along her body, placing a cool hand on her right thigh, allowing the magic to flow from his body into her skin. Once that terrible cut was gone, he arranged himself so that he was straddling her hips, taking care not to put too much weight on her. Loki caught sight of the small blush that covered Echo's face at his position, and laughed.

Placing a small kiss on her lips, Loki murmured against them, "You are adorable, my dear," before stealing another kiss. Echo just blushed deeper, and Loki flashed another smile before sitting back again to work on her sides.

Starting with the stab wound, he kissed the bottom of the slash and continued to place feather-light kisses until he reached the top of it, effectively closing the skin. Covering the area with his hand, Loki guided his current of magic into the wound, fixing the nerves, skin molecules, and other damage in her.

Echo clenched her hands, gasping in pain for a second, but when Loki made to move away, she held his hand against her side, motioning that she was fine. His concerned eyes stayed on hers for another moment, before he looked back down at the wound. Loki pressed down slightly to make sure it was repaired completely, then removed his hand to see the nasty gash gone, only a small raised scar left behind.

Staying on her left side, the two wicked knife wounds on her upper arm were quickly taken care of. Echo trembled slightly as the magic worked, healing and soothing the ripped muscles, and she took a steadying breath as Loki gripped her arm tighter.

Echo was breathing deeply when he was done, and Loki gave her a minute. Placing kisses on her forehead and lips, he asked her, "Are you ready to go on? Or would you like to rest a while more?"

Echo shook her head, "Keep going. I'll be all right." He nodded, starting on her right side now. Her broken wrist was more difficult than her leg, but after a minute Loki released her wrist. She rolled it tenderly, the ache and pain she had felt completely gone.

The knife wound was dealt with similarly to the gashes on her left arm, and soon all that was left was the bullet wound. Loki had already sped up the healing process for this particular wound, but although it was not the gaping wound it had once been, there was still much to be fixed.

After looking the wound over, Loki moved her so that she was lying on her left side, allowing him to reach her front and back more easily. While his fingers closed where the bullet had entered her body, he kissed the exit wound until there was no longer a hole. Knowing that this would cause more pain to Echo when it was healed, due to the extent of the wound, Loki moved Echo so that she was lying on her back again.

Keeping his right hand on the raised scar where the bullet had entered her, Loki caressed her cheek with the other. Taking a deep breath, gathering his magic, he asked her, "Are you ready?" Echo merely nodded, not wanting her voice to betray the fear she felt by speaking. But the trust was clear in her eyes as she looked up at Loki.

Loki suddenly gripped her side firmly, eliciting a gasp to escape Echo's lips. In the next instant, Loki's lips were covering hers, distracting her with a searing kiss. Loki himself nearly lost focus, not having been able to kiss Echo like this since her capture.

Regaining concentration as Echo's lips began to move with his, Loki kneaded his fingers tenderly into her skin, willing the healing magic to course through her and heal all the bullet had harmed. She whimpered slightly, but Loki deepened the kiss, making her focus on him instead of the pain.

Finally, the deed is done and they break for air, Loki breathing hard due to the effort he had exerted by healing Echo, and Echo recovering from the pain she had felt as her body had been repaired much quicker than normal. Oh, and because of that intense kiss they had just exchanged.

Chuckling softly, Loki leant down so that his forehead touched hers, and placed a small kiss on her nose before pulling away. "So, how are you feeling now?"

She laughed softly at his smug tone, then wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him close again. "Rejuvenated."

Their lips locked in another deep kiss, and when they broke away again, Echo said softly, "Thank you Loki."

"For you, my dear," Loki started, placing kisses on both her cheeks, then her forehead. "I would do anything," he promised, before capturing those perfect lips for another heated kiss.

Eventually they maneuvered their way under the covers, their exchange of tender kisses and gentle caresses continuing throughout. The rest of the evening was spent like that, neither needing anything more than the simple presence of the other, until they fell asleep in each others' arms.

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**Oh gawd, I always listen to movie scores when I'm writing, and "Letting Go" by Patrick Doyle came on – I literally had to stop writing in order to hold in my tears. He's such a magnificent composer, his music is so beautiful. Good lord – maybe I'll watch Thor now, since I'm alone and I'll be able to cry in peace. :P **

**Well, I hope you all liked this chapter! And, OH MY GOSH, there is one more chapter left! Again, there will be a sequel, which I will be posting as soon as I can afterwards – a few more tweaks on the outline and it'll be pretty much ready. :) Let me know what you thought of this one (sorry if the healing scene was a bit long), and I'll be updating on Saturday! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**All righty, here's the last chapter – of this part, anyways. :D So sorry this is a **_**little**_** late, but I tried my best, truly! Thanks again for my fabulous readers, followers, those who've reviewed – Loki'sdreamer, WarriorDragonElf54, DoctorLokiLove – and those who've favorited! It means a lot! Now read on! The mystery is about to be solved! :)**

* * *

The next day, Loki found himself pacing the living room floor, his hands clasped securely behind his back. If he relinquished the tight grip, then he was sure his arms would shake and reveal the stress he was under.

Today was finally the day – the test was just being completed, and the results would be revealed. To say he was nervous was an_ extreme_ understatement. But as he glanced around every now and then, Loki could see that he was not alone in his feelings.

Tony was sitting in the loveseat, elbows on his knees as he rested his chin atop his hands, legs twitching insistently as he watched Loki walk around. He had wanted to go down to help Bruce, but in the end the good doctor had had his way. They all knew Tony had simply wanted to know the results before the rest.

Clint sat on the armrest beside him, fingers drumming continuously on his knee as he stared blankly into space. If it were not for those fingers of his left hand moving, Loki would have thought he had turned to stone. His expression was carefully empty, but every now and then Clint would blink and a trickle of worry would leak into his eyes.

Loki turned to circle around the living room for the millionth time, spotting Steve and Bucky leaning against the wall. Steve's blue eyes stared at him intently, watching closely as he paced the same track over and over again. The concern shining within Bucky's eyes was clear as well, but until then the room had been filled with a stifling silence.

Even his brother had been unnaturally quiet after his attempts to start conversation were unsuccessful. Now Thor was just sitting on the couch with his arms spread along the back, a shadow of a smile crossing his lips as he took in the sight of Loki pacing nervously.

Making yet another round, Loki looked up at the last person in the room, tensing up unwillingly. Phil Coulson stood in the corner of the room, his usual black glasses tucked into the pocket of his suit jacket, hair combed back neatly and face impassive. Agent Coulson was there today after Fury had sent him over to hear the result, since Clint and Natasha had revealed the day before that Echo was pregnant. He did not seem bored, but was not as on edge as Loki and the others, understandably so.

When Fury had revealed the truth of Phil's condition, the anger Loki felt at being deceived was reciprocated by the Avengers as well. The truth had been revealed a year after Loki had been on Midgard, so he had already formed a bit of a connection with the team. They had all had a hard time trusting Fury for a long while afterwards.

Even after Phil had told him that what had happened was in the past, Loki still felt a bit of guilt when looking at the man. Truthfully, Loki had fought the Others' control to not harm this Midgardian at all, but in the end he was only able to make the wound nonlethal. Which, according to Coulson the first time they spoke peacefully, was better than nothing.

Loki was still amazed at how easily this man was able to forgive him. _'Although,'_ Loki smirked, remembering being blasted through a wall. _'I know that if I stepped out of line, Coulson is more than capable of handling me.'_ As the designated 'nanny' for the Avengers, he certainly _had_ to be able to manage someone like Loki.

Glancing at the elevator once more, Loki wished that the results would not take much longer. It seemed that the last few minutes were passing slower than the past days of not knowing. _'Curse that woman! Why didn't she allow at least _me_ to accompany Echo?'_ But even as he thought that, Loki knew the reason why Natasha had kept him and the others from following them to the lab.

Loki did not want to cause Echo any more stress, and if they were all crowding around her as the test was finished, it would have been a terrible environment for her. Especially if the results turned out negatively.

As Loki started yet another circle of the living room, a voice suddenly cut through his thoughts. "Loki!" He looked up in a daze at Steve, to see the soldier looking very agitated at him. "Stop that pacing! You're only making us all more nervous!"

His strong voice snapped Loki out of his quest to make a ditch in the floor, and it seemed to affect the others as well. Tony and Clint stopped wiggling as much, and Bucky was smirking slightly at Steve's outburst.

Loki finally stopped walking, his joints actually creaking as he released his hands from the death grip he had them in. His hands started shaking, slowly spreading up his body until he was fairly trembling with anxiety. But the lack of movement in his feet was truly made up when his jaw was unlocked, and he started voicing his worries.

"You say _you_ are nervous? You do not know the meaning of the word! Is it _your_ lover we are waiting for? No, it is mine! Oh _Yggdrasil_, how will I take it if it isn't my child?" Loki started moving his hands frantically as he spoke, becoming absorbed in the rant.

Fortunately unaware of how the others were looking at him in amusement, Loki continued. "Or what if it _is_ my child, what will I do then? Will I be a good father? How can I when I only _just_ fixed my own relationship with my father? I can't fail, but how can I succeed? What will I d–" Someone grabbed his shoulders and shook him lightly, jerking him out of his nonstop babbling.

Shaking his head to refocus, Loki looked up at Thor in annoyance, the feeling only strengthened when he saw the look of amusement on his brother's face. Peering around the room, his frown grew as he saw similar expressions on the others' faces. Even Phil seemed to be hiding a smile, his hands still clasped in front of him as he waited patiently.

"Do not worry, brother!" Loki snapped his head back to Thor, whose calloused hands still held his shoulders firmly. He attempted to pull away from the touch, but Thor would not desist.

"You will become a great father, as you are already worried that you will not be! If you were not ready, you would not care to such an extent." Loki looked at his brother in amazement, never having thought he would hear such words come from Thor in his life. Thor did make a point – if it did not matter to him, then he would not be reacting in such a way.

"Now that you have revealed how much it means to you, it is clear that becoming a good father is important to you, brother. You will be fine." Thor smiled warmly at him, and Loki felt his lips curving upwards in response, nodding his thanks. His heart still beat insistently and a distant ringing had begun in his ears, loud enough that he was not aware of the elevator arriving at their floor.

Then, from a distance it seemed, Loki heard a small voice call out his name. His head snapped towards Echo, as did the others who had not noticed her arrival with Natasha and Bruce. Although Loki looked at them closely, their expressions could not be any more reserved, revealing nothing of what the results could be.

Loki turned his scrutinizing gaze to Echo, where it turned softer as he took in her appearance. Hugging her arms loosely, curling somewhat into herself, Echo looked hesitant. She was looking at the floor in front of her, but as Loki kept his eyes on her, Echo slowly lifted her head.

As he met her eyes, Loki's heart fluttered rapidly when a small smile slowly appeared on her face. The purity of it nearly took his breath away, but then he found himself holding it as Echo opened her mouth. Her eyes warm and smile widening, Echo said softly, "Guess what? You're going to be a father."

If it were not for Thor's hands still on his shoulders, Loki would have fallen to the ground. _Thank goodness for little miracles._ His heart had expanded almost painfully from all the happiness he felt, and Loki had to remind himself to breathe as he began to feel light-headed. He could feel his cheeks stretching as a smile crossed his face wider and more wholesome than it had ever done before.

The room had erupted with joyful sound, although he was only slightly aware of what was happening around him. Tony clasped Bruce's hands in his, hopping and spinning his partner around in his excitement. Natasha was beaming, tears running down her cheeks, as she walked into Clint's ready arms. Steve was clapping, whooping along with Bucky at the good news.

But Loki only had eyes for the beauty standing in front of him. Echo's eyes were shining with unshed tears, that wonderful smile still on her face, and he wished that her expression would never change. Finally finding his strength, Loki pulled himself away from Thor and began walking towards his lover.

Loki took a few strides before Echo simply ran at him, throwing herself into his arms. He lifted her up, bringing her face to face, and he grinned as she wrapped her legs around his waist immediately. He claimed her lips in a kiss, closing his eyes in bliss at feeling her so close to him again.

Tangling one hand in his hair, the other cupping his cheek, Echo deepened the kiss, ignoring the whistles around them. She had missed this contact, missed it with all her heart, and now that she had it back, she would never let go of him again. _'Well, maybe not literally,'_ she grinned, kissing Loki's lips one more time before allowing him to lower her back to the ground.

Turning towards the others, her face burning as she took in their smirks and smiles, Echo clapped and said, "Well, looks like we'll be having a mini God of Mischief running around in nine months time." She grinned as a chorus of groans and grumblings erupted, giggling at Loki's annoyed expression.

Loki glared at the others, pursing his lips as Tony cried into Bruce's shirt, "Why?! What did we do to deserve this?" Then he laughed aloud as Echo punched Tony playfully in the arm, who just turned towards her with a smile and wrapped her in a hug.

Pulling away, but keeping an arm around her shoulders, Tony said, "Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say that I am _very_ happy with this news. And after good news, comes a party to celebrate! And I know just the place!"

Loki rolled his eyes along with the others, but after another few hours he found himself sitting beside Echo in a bar and diner that Tony loved to frequent, just finishing his dinner. Watching as yet another person waved excitedly at the famous Iron Man, he could tell why.

"So, what are we going to do now? Any procedures we need to do? Do I need to remodel the Tower again? Ya know, put padding everywhere and all that shit?"

Echo and Natasha deadpanned, while Clint chuckled, "And all that shit? Thank god _you_ can't get pregnant."

Bruce caught Loki's eyes, rolling them while shaking his head with pity. "Yes, there will be a load of appointments that we'll have to set up, and we'll need to know more about your side before long as well," he said, looking pointedly at Loki. "But, we will have the best doctors available, and everything will be all right, OK?"

Echo smiled back at Bruce, before turning her gaze up to Loki. Her gaze warmed, her smile becoming that much more sweet, and Loki felt his chest expand as he was filled with a myriad of emotions.

Kissing her chastely, Loki looked up as Bruce suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, it's getting late. You need to get some rest, young lady, because the next few weeks are going to be _extremely_ busy. No, I don't want to hear it, let's get a move on." Despite their complaints, Bruce ushered them out of the diner and back to the Tower.

Once up in the living room, Bruce called out, "Go and relax Echo! You're going to need it, believe me!" Echo just laughed softly, staying behind as everyone slowly made their way to their rooms. Loki stood by her side, his arm still wrapped securely around her shoulder, not wanting to release her anytime soon.

Echo slowly walked toward the bedrooms, slipping away from Loki's embrace, but taking his hand instead. Stopping in front of her bedroom, Echo looked down at their clasped hands, whispering, "Well, I suppose I should say good night then."

She looked up at him then, and Loki found himself leaning down, capturing her lips in a slow, tender kiss. Echo relinquished her grip on his hand, smoothing her hands across his chest as his hands found their place on each side of her hips. She suddenly broke the kiss, looking up at him with a slight fear, and Loki remembered the hand sized bruises on her waist.

Moving his hands to the small of her back immediately, Loki pulled her close, whispering as he leaned his forehead against hers, "It's all right. We don't have to do this if you're not ready."

But Echo placed a finger on his lips before he could continue, looking up at him with those big eyes. "I'll – I'll be fine. I want this, I do." Gripping the front of his shirt, she pulled him down for another soft kiss. After a few moments, one of her hands scrabbled behind her for the doorknob, and at the click they began walking backwards, never breaking their kiss.

Inhaling through his nose, Loki waved his hand and the door locked behind him, a sound-proof shield also going up as usual. Running his tongue along her lips, Loki deepened the kiss when she opened her mouth in response. A shiver went down his spine at the moan she emitted when he sucked at her tongue, and he began pulling her t-shirt up.

Breaking the kiss only to allow her shirt to pass over her head, Loki renewed his attack on her lips as her fingers fiddled with the buttons to his shirt. Once that was discarded, as well as her bra, he maneuvered them to the bed, peeling her pants and underwear off immediately.

As he quickly wrenched off the remainder of his clothing, Loki knelt on the bed and took a moment to look at Echo. Her wavy locks were spread across the pillows as she had released them from her hair band, pupils blown wide with lust, eyes glowing from the passion she felt. Her chest rose and fell heavily from all their snogging, her lips bruised, and Loki could not get enough of the sight.

Crawling over her, Loki leant down to place a chaste kiss on her lips, before turning his attention to her neck. Nipping at the sensitive skin between her neck and collarbone, he relished the moan that escaped her lips when he sucked at it slightly. Biting down softly before sucking again, Loki made sure that there would be a nice bruise there the next morning. "Bastard," Echo gasped, making Loki chuckle against her skin.

"Hmm, but I seem to be under the impression," he said softly, trailing his fingers down her stomach and lower. "That you are enjoying my antics." She gasped softly as he slowly sifted a finger into her, and he breathed, "There, see?"

Loki made sure to be slow with her, not wanting Echo to panic, even when his body cried out for him to simply sheath himself in her and take her. Once he deemed her ready, if her gasps and moans were anything to go by, Loki looked her in the eye as he positioned himself. "Let me know if it becomes too much, and we can stop."

Echo nodded with a smile, leaning into his touch when he rubbed a soft hand across her cheek. After another moment's hesitation, Loki slowly pushed forward, holding back a groan as he was surrounded by her heat again after far too long. Shaking himself back to reality, Loki looked down at Echo, keeping watch of her expressions.

Echo had her hands clasped behind his neck, eyes clenched shut as the memories fought to take over. A tear escaped her eye, and Loki quickly wiped it away, using all of his willpower to stop as he was halfway in her. "Shh, you're all right. I'm here, Echo, come back to me. They cannot hurt you anymore – I would not allow it either."

Taking a few deep breaths, Echo slowly opened her eyes, body relaxing as she lost herself in the concerned green eyes above her. Blinking, she took in the features on Loki's face – the glowing green eyes, those thin pink lips, those eyebrows quirked up with worry – and felt an overwhelming sense of security from being with him. Bringing him down for a quick kiss, she said, "I'm ready. I'm OK."

Loki moved his hips forward again, not stopping until he was fully sheathed within Echo. Shuddering at the sensations going through him, he allowed Echo to adjust before pulling out and pushing back in again. Setting up a slow, deep pace, Loki treated Echo with more gentleness and care than he had ever done before.

With Echo's hips moving in perfect synchronization with his, Loki did not feel the need to quicken the pace nor change anything. He stayed as close to Echo as he could, leaning his weight on his arms on either side of Echo's head, kissing every inch of skin that he could reach. Her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her lips – light tender kisses were placed anywhere.

Their movements slowly became more insistent as each tried to reach their ends, and just as Echo clenched around him, Loki came with a muffled shout as he burrowed his face in her neck. Loki rested there for a moment, finding a certain peace at feeling Echo's heart beat underneath his, his chest heaving as they both came down from their highs.

Eventually he gently pulled out of Echo, and with a quick wave of his hand, the bed was clean for them to sleep in. Sated and tired, Loki lay on his side, gathering Echo in his arms. Leaving a small kiss on her forehead, he settled down to sleep before Echo whispered, "I love you, Loki."

Looking down at his lover, a smile curved his lips as Loki said sincerely, "And I love you, Echo. With all my heart." Loki wished he could capture the moment her entire face lit up at his words, and brought his lips down to capture hers in another kiss.

As he watched Echo fall asleep, Loki found himself grinning stupidly as his fingers subconsciously traced patterns along her stomach. Settling down and pulling Echo closer, Loki felt a small genuine smile form on his lips, and fell asleep thinking that he had never felt happier before in his life.

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**Well, there ya go! That's it for Part 1! :D I want to thank you all for sticking with me this long, and I hope to see you for the sequel! The name of Part 2 will be **_**Mending Spirits, Family Bonds**_**, (although that second part **_**may**_** change, I don't know how I feel about it.) The first part is definite though, so just keep a look out. :D It will be a lot lighter and fluffier, but there will still be plenty of action. (The Other is still out there, after all!) Again, thanks so much for all the support thus far, and I will posting the first chapter of the sequel within the next week! Take care!**

**-Ana :)**

**Edited 6/4/13: The name of the sequel is **_**The Family I Always Wanted**_**, and the first chapter will be up within the next few days! I promise! :)**


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